Foreign Relations: Chasing Saren
by ghanimajade
Summary: This is part two to Foreign Relations. This story follows the events of Mass Effect 1 and Sidda's hunt for the traitor Saren. Siddalee Shepard, Spacer, Adept, War Hero. Mass Effect is a product of BioWare, I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1: Muscle Car of the Stars

_Authors Note: Welcome! Welcome, to Foreign Relations: Chasing Saren. This is part two of four and follows the events of Mass Effect 1. Sidda gets a swanky new ship but, of course, things don't go as planned. This chapter underwent some revisions and additions. Once again a shout out to my tireless Beta, Pint-sized She-Bear, who suggested some additions and helped the chapter flow a bit more. _

_The first few chapters will have a lot of game dialogue in it but after I set the stage and what not I will deviate greatly. Please enjoy and let me know what you all think, as always feedback, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. _

_geminidragon76: I have a master plan (muhahaha) hang in there. Mija002: She will most definitely see them again. Gimme a few chapters and your wish will be granted and I love Sidda and Adrien as a couple too. Georgia Jackdaw: ask and you shall receive._

_Thank you to those who read my drabbling and to all the favorites and follows._

_I give you Chapter One of Part Two: Muscle Car of the Stars_

**Mass Effect  
**"Foreign Relations"

**Part Two: Chasing Saren**

**Chapter One: Muscle Car of the Stars**

The success of the Sidda's mission was evident in the prototype war machine the two militaries created. The _SSV Normandy _was one of a kind…faster, tougher, and more powerful than any other Alliance frigate in service perhaps ever built. Built within a year of Sidda's completion of her assignment the ingenuity that went into the design of the ship showed what Humans and Turians could accomplish when they worked together. Sidda was teaching at the Academy when she received her orders, first officer of the brand new ship. That was either a pat on the back for a job well done or a publicity stunt seeing as how she was one of the people instrumental in getting it built. Once again serving with Anderson was a relief; she wasn't the best officer to get to know. Even before her time with the Turians she was a little hard on CO's, she was strong willed and knew how to get things done. At least Anderson knew how to deal with that.

Over the past year Sidda was given no active assignment, she spent time at the academy as an interim instructor and the rest was a much needed and well-earned vacation. Before being sent to Earth to take her place on the swanky new ship she spent a week on Palaven with Victus. She was pretty sure that Victus had never taken so much leave in his whole career since every time he ran into someone he knew they looked at him like he was crazy when he said he was on leave. Aside from Victus, Sidda hadn't seen anyone else from the _Lante_.

* * *

The room full of academy cadets watched from the sidelines as their instructor demonstrated how to fight like a Turian. The Brass had decided that her now extensive knowledge in hand to hand combat was worth placing her in charge of the Close Quarters Battle or CQB class in addition to a Combat Tactics class she taught.

She employed techniques that she'd learned and dropped one of the cadets on the floor with a hardy thud. "Staying out of a Turian's reach is the best defense when engaged in hand to hand with them." She stated and helped pull the cadet to his feet.

"Aren't the Turians our allies now?" one of them asked. "Why do we need to know how to fight them?"

"Because not all Turians are allies, plenty of Mercs and slavers are Turians and damn near all of them have military training." She stated. "You don't have to be fighting a Turian for their techniques to come in handy."

"You spent a year on their ship, Commander, why would they teach you how to fight like them?" another cadet asked.

"The Turians taught me more than just how to fight but their goal with me, as with any member of the crew, was create a battlemaster than can hold out in any fight with or without weapons." Sidda explained. "Trust me, their training is extremely efficient."

The chime went off indicating that the class time was over and she saw her class begin to collect their things. "Commander, we hear you've been assigned to the prototype frigate…you won't be teaching us anymore." A cadet stated and Sidda shrugged to him.

"Until Adm. Anderson gets tired of me and gives be back…or the prototype explodes because it didn't work right." She replied dryly causing a group of her students to chuckle.

"Who's taking over the class?" another asked and Sidda shook her head.

"I'm not sure." She replied. The class had always been over the moon about Sidda being their instructor, after implementing a heavy fine for anyone who referred to her as the 'Hero of Elysium' all of her classes began to gel. "Just try not to give me a bad reputation for misbehaving." She requested and the group laughed again.

"Commander, by your reputation I think we should be asking you that." A female cadet with short black hair stated and Sidda chuckled to them. She was going to miss teaching, at first she didn't really want to but when she got into a groove she actually found it kind of fun, but things were different now. Now she was the first officer on the newest ship in the fleet.

A few hours later she transferred all her duties and made her way to her temporary quarters to pack. As she squared away all her belongings she chatted with her Turian lover. She would have preferred to talk to him in person but seeing his face spread across the monitor would have to do. "So you get to be the first officer on the prototype our governments created." Victus stated and Sidda nodded as she folded up the clothes and placed them in the bag.

"The _SSV Normandy_; she's supposed to be pretty bad ass." She stated. "Top of the line in everything. I can't wait to see it."

"I can't imagine you as an executive officer." Victus replied as he sorted through a few datapads that had accumulated on his desk.

Sidda paused and looked at the screen. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"You're beyond stubborn, opinionated, hardheaded, and trouble finds you wherever you go…I certainly wouldn't want you as my first officer." He stated bluntly and scoffed. "I have enough problems with Damar…as independent as he is."

Sidda laughed as she went back to what she was doing, filling the duffle with her clothes and trinkets. "Then lucky for you I'm in the Alliance not the Turian Military." She smirked. "There's no way you could handle me as an XO."

Victus grunted an agreement to that. "I can think of many ways to have you under me and that's not one of them so you'll get no disagreement from me." He stated and Sidda turned to him with a cock of her head.

"Wow, too bad you're so far away." She stated with a smile. "Where are you anyway?"

Victus purred to the thoughts that were running through his head. "You know I can't tell you that, Sid." He stated.

Sidda knew his reply even before she asked the question and nodded, changing the topic. "So, these 'ways of having me under you'…care to share?" she asked with a flirty smile and a suggestive tone. She really should pack but having a dirty conversation with her lover sounded like much more fun.

He purred again and was about to regale her with every dirty little thing he'd like to do to her but their conversation was interrupted by Maridus' voice over the _Lante's_ intercom. "_Gen. Victus, please report to CIC. Gen. Victus, please report to the CIC."_

Sidda groaned. "He always did have epically bad timing." she droned and Victus chuckled.

"Hmm…" he replied. "I'll see what I can do about that." He said and he tapped a few keys on the pad he was tinkering with. "Until next time, Sidda, I love you."

Sidda smiled and few her cheeks flush a little. "I love you too. Be careful, Adrien."

"You as well." He said and tapped the screen making it go black.

Sidda lingered looking at the blank screen and sighed. She really did miss him and would prefer to be with him rather than packing up for a new assignment even if it was on the brand new frigate. She resumed her task and then headed to the shuttle that would take her to her new home.

* * *

On her shuttle ride to the prototype Sidda observed the ship as it came into view, she could see the Turian aspect in its design though its outward appearance was predominantly human in design. Inside she felt like she was at home, the_ Normandy_ was set up almost exactly like the _Lante _was but nearly half the size. She may have been a small ship but she was designed to pack a punch. Her claim to fame was the drive core. Oversized and stuffed into the back like the souped up muscle cars of old, muscle car of the stars…that was the _Normandy_. She was also equipped with a stealth system, which was going to make Special Ops missions a hell of a lot easier if it performed like they said it would. Overall Sidda was as excited as a kid on Christmas to see how the prototype performed.

Anderson handed Sidda a cup of coffee as he briefed her on what was going on. "We'll also be having a Turian observer along." He stated and knew Sidda was the one crew member he knew wouldn't be angry or offended by a Turian presence on the ship.

Sidda took a gulp of the hot cup of bad coffee. "Who's the Turian?" she asked, wondering if it was anyone she knew.

"Nihlus Kryik." Anderson answered and Sidda grinned. This mission kept getting better and better. "I take it you know him?"

Sidda chuckled lightly. "Yes, Sir, he's a Spectre. I met him a few times when I was on the _Lante_." She replied. "Good man…hell of a soldier if not a little bit of a disaster magnet."

"On par with you then." He stated and Sidda scoffed.

"Funny." Sidda replied. "You sent me into that snake pit, don't forget about that." She added making Anderson laugh. "Shouldn't be a problem with Nihlus, he's quiet, driven, don't expect him to throw a party or anything."

"Well, he should be here around 0800 tomorrow morning." Anderson said and Sidda nodded with a smile. Outside she was professional but inside she was jumping for joy, the chance to see Nihlus again was like a shot in the arm for her. This past year had been downright boring and she knew that if Nihlus was coming there was a better than average chance of seeing some action since he was exactly what she had described…a disaster magnet.

After her quick briefing with Anderson Sidda sat in the Mess sipping some coffee and reading a letter from her mother, typical stuff really; her mother was keeping her up to date on life, hounding her about meeting Victus and informing her that her father would go nuclear if he was still alive and knew his daughter was seeing a Turian. Sidda wasn't trying to keep Victus from meeting anyone but she was trying to preserve the relationship, she didn't know how 'meet the parents' was supposed to go with Turians.

"Commander?" a voice said drawing her attention from what she was reading. She looked up to see a quite handsome man standing before her. He was about 5'11" with black hair and brown eyes with a voice that had a husky voice that nearly made her toes curl. She may have been ruined for Human men but that didn't mean she didn't find them attractive, especially this one.

"Yes." She answered looking him up and down. She could tell that he was fit by the way his clothes fit him but quickly shut down the inquiring side of her brain.

"Lt. Kaidan Alenko, Commander." He introduced with a salute that Sidda returned and gestured for him to sit.

"Siddalee Shepard." She replied as Kaidan sat down across from her.

"It's truly an honor, Commander." He said and Sidda tried to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She was proud of what she did on Elysium but was frankly irritated with the fame it brought her. Kaidan chuckled sound almost embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Commander, I'm sure you hear that a lot."

Sidda was the one who should be embarrassed, or at the very least a little shamed, by her eye roll to the junior officer and blushed a little. "Yeah, a little bit, I'm even famous among the Turians for it." She replied. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be." He said waving her off. "I've just never met a living legend before. I always thought the 'Hero of Elysium' would be different somehow. You're an inspiration to biotics."

Sidda cocked her head. "You're a biotic?" she asked her curiosity peaked.

"Yes, ma'am." He replied proudly. "Biotic, Marine, and Medic."

"Jack of all trades, huh?" Sidda smiled, it had been a while since she served with another biotic. Desala was the last and those she instructed at the academy didn't really count. She was actually looking forward to working with another biotic.

"_Cdr. Shepard to CIC. Cdr. Shepard to CIC."_ Joker's voice said over the comm cutting their conversation short.

"Sorry." She stated her tone friendly and her smile sweet. "I look forward to working with you, Lieutenant." She said and offered to shake his hand.

Kaidan nodded to her giving her a firm handshake. "As do I, Commander."

* * *

Sidda waited at the airlock door for the guest to finish cycling through. When the door opened she grinned seeing the red and black armor of an old friend. "Nihlus Kryik." She greeted and he looked down at her, his huge frame looming over her.

"Commander." He greeted in a light tone and extended his hand out to her.

"Been a long time, Nihlus." She stated shaking his hand with a firm grip. "How the hell are you?"

"Fine, Commander, just fine." He stated and Sidda couldn't figure out how to wipe the smile off her face, she was really happy to see him.

"It's nice to know that you could go a year without me having to rescue you." She sniped and Nihlus adjusted the bag he had slung over his shoulder.

"It was tough, Commander, but I managed." He stated and Sidda chuckled.

"And he cracks a joke." She laughed. "We're off to a great start. Welcome to the _SSV Normandy_, Nihlus. Care for a tour?"

Nihlus nodded. "Of course."

As they walked and Sidda pointed out various things on the ship she also found it necessary to catch up with the long lost friend. The last time she saw him he was leaving the _Lante_ after nearly being killed by a creative form of torture. Over the year she had gotten a few tidbits of information on him and one really big thing that she was stuck on Earth for and wound up missing.

"How's Delaih?" she asked and Nihlus as they walked down the steps to the crew deck.

"She's fine." He replied simply. "She's on the _Lante_ and asked me to say hello."

Sidda nodded and looked up at him. "I'm sorry I missed the ceremony. They had me at the academy and I couldn't get away."

Nihlus waved it off. "It's alright, the General was there. Told us where you were."

Sidda groaned, it still pissed her off that she missed it. She tried her best to get away from the Academy for a few days but the Brass wouldn't have it. "Would have loved to see how a Turian wedding goes."

"I've seen your Human…weddings, as you call them, nothing quite so lengthy." He stated and Sidda narrowed her eyes.

"No party?" she asked and Nihlus scoffed.

"Oh, no, there was a party…a very long party." He stated and his tone made Sidda chuckle.

"So what you're telling me is that your people have a short ceremony and long ass reception?" she simplified and Nihlus chuckled.

"Yeah…honestly, I don't remember a lot of it." He stated and Sidda chuckled.

"A drunk Nihlus…on his wedding day…that would have been a sight." She laughed and Nihlus rolled his eyes with a snort. So many people saw him as ridged and serious about his work…if she only knew the side of him that most of the _Lante_ crew saw. The fun prankster that gave Nov a run for his money and the guy who joked with Maridus day in and day out until there were so many inside jokes floating around only they could keep them straight. The _Lante _was the only ship where he felt accepted but being a Spectre was what he was born to do.

"Oh, Commander, you have a lot to learn about me." He stated and Sidda looked up at him with a furrowed brow.

"Just how long do you plan on being on this ship?" she asked and Nihlus snorted.

"Not that long, Commander." He replied as they made it to the bottom step and entered the Crew Deck.

"Officer on deck." She heard someone announce and everyone dropped what they were doing and stood at attention.

"At ease." She stated. "Carry on." Military protocol never used to bother her but since serving a year on a slightly more relaxed ship she didn't see the point of having people drop what they were doing simply because she walked into the room. She approached the officer who announced her presence. It was Kaidan, the officer she'd met earlier. "Lieutenant, you don't have to do that every time I walk in the room."

Kaidan seemed to blush when she smiled to him and Nihlus narrowed his eyes. He may not have been an expert on human relations or even his own for that matter but he could tell Kaidan was attracted to her. "Sorry, Commander, habit."

Sidda nodded to him, she preferred the relaxed atmosphere she'd gotten used to on the _Lante_. "Lieutenant, this is Nihlus Kryik, Council Spectre. Nihlus, this is Lt. Kaidan Alenko."

Nihlus simply nodded to Kaidan. "Lieutenant."

"Sir." Kaidan replied both of them be brief but respectful to the other.

Nihlus surveyed the ship, small compared to other frigates he'd seen or served on. The design was somewhat familiar because of the Turian side but parts of it still seemed alien. The stealth drive was the aspect he was very curious about but then again so were the rest of the Alliance, Turians, and the Council. If it worked like it was supposed to it would drastically change covert missions for everyone who had access to the technology.

They stepped off the slowest elevator in existence and she could see Nihlus' irritation about how slow the freight elevator was. Engineering was an interesting stop, Nihlus was no engineer but he marveled at the Tantalus Drive Core. Top of the line and twice the size of a normal frigates core, it truly was a stroke of engineering genius.

After that, it was the Cargo Bay, not much to look at as it was supposed to be functional not aesthetically pleasing. Nihlus cocked his head to the vehicle parked in the bay. The Mako, a human APC that was as tough as they came. "Well, what do you think?" Sidda asked as she showed Nihlus to the locker that he could store his stuff in.

"It's an impressive little ship, Commander." He stated and stored the small bag in the locker.

Sidda huffed and shook her head. "Nihlus, if you don't start calling me 'Sidda' I might have to kill you." She stated and she could have sworn she saw Nihlus smile.

"Many have tried…Commander." He stated and Sidda's expression turned to slight surprise. He was playing with her. She'd heard that he had a sense of humor but figured he was one of those that only joked with people he was comfortable around.

"And none were me." She replied and paused looking to her then back to the locker. "I could do with a little physical exertion kicking your ass."

Nihlus scoffed. "How about a little physical exertion now, Commander?"

Sidda's expression narrowed as she cocked her head to him. "Poor choice of words for a dirty minded Turian lover like me." She stated and Nihlus dropped his gaze to her and followed it with a grumble. She figured he wouldn't find that amusing but she sure did. "Alright, Spectre Kryik…let's go. I haven't sparred with a Turian in a year."

Nihlus moved out into the middle of the bay near the Mako. "Not even with Victus?" he questioned and Sidda snorted as she stretched out her back before they began.

"Umm…generally that's not the type of 'sparring' Adrien and I do when I finally get to see him." She stated and received a chuckle from the stoic Turian.

"Believe me, I can understand that." He replied. For the better part of his life he had random encounters of companionship and intimacy and he was okay with that. Nearly dying in the Batarian pit caused him to reevaluate his life and he came to the stark realization that he was all alone. Yes, he had friends but no one that loved him or that he loved in return. Since that day he could not think of anyone else other than the woman who kept him alive. For as long as he'd known her he never gave a relationship a thought, now he kicked himself for being so blind.

Sidda giggled to his tone as she backed up a little to give him some space. "Aww…do you miss Deliah?" she teased and she saw Nihlus narrow his gaze.

"Stop that." He stated and Sidda mirrored his fighting stance.

She had no idea what she was getting into, she had never sparred with Nihlus, she had seen him fight on both Nebewa and Terra Nova and understood all too well just how devastating he was. A few minutes into their spar she discovered that perhaps it was a bad idea to spar with him. Nihlus was good…really good. Sidda had sparred with enough Turians to pick apart his fighting style; he was calm, calculating and very precise. His accuracy was vicious but he wasn't as downright brutal as Cerrus. After being on the _Lante_ long enough she was also able to rank who hit the hardest. Ruvvak won that prize by a light-year, his hit felt that she had been smacked by an anvil, that being said Nihlus was a rival. The power he put into his hits were controlled but carried his full weight behind it, and for as big as he was he was quite nimble, but Sidda's size was her advantage.

Nihlus was impressed with her prowess but expected nothing less from her. If she came away from a year on a Turian ship and didn't learn how to fight like one his opinion of her would have dwindled to zero. He knew who taught her and had a general idea about her moves but he was happily surprised by how unpredictable she was. Sidda wasn't controlled like a Turian, she fought with tenacity but skilled tenacity, she never gave up and didn't back down.

Sidda was a little rusty but Nihlus' advance quickly shook the rust off as she matched his strikes with perfect blocks. Her string of precision ended when Nihlus swatted a block away and spun his back toward her decking her with a controlled elbow hit to the right side of the head with his right elbow. She staggered away her hand going to the now sore side of her skull. That was a light hit from him but it still hurt like a son of a bitch.

"Fuck…" she growled hissing away the pain from the impact site.

"Had enough?" Nihlus asked, his tone reflecting a smrik and Sidda's expression turned to an almost insulted glare.

"Cerrus couldn't beat it out of me so I'm reasonably sure you can't." she replied dryly as she returned to her position in front of him setting up for another attack.

Nihlus mused slightly. "Don't be so sure, Commander." He stated knowing that still not using her first name like she asked who infuriate her.

* * *

Several hours after Nihlus came aboard the mission got underway. Sidda still had no idea why they were heading to Eden Prime and Anderson hadn't told her anything. She got the sneaking suspicion that there was something going on between Nihlus and Anderson that they weren't telling her. First of all she really didn't buy Nihlus coming along as an 'observer', why would the Council send their best Spectre to babysit the _SSV Normandy's_ shakedown cruise? And what was this mission to Eden Prime all about? Eden Prime was a simply farming colony; it flourished like Terra Nova and never really had any issues to speak of. All things being said none of this mission made any sense, she liked seeing Nihlus but she would like to have the whole story.

Sidda made her way up to the cockpit of the Normandy as Joker piloted the prototype through the Charon Relay. She appeared next to Nihlus who was quietly observing and said nothing to him. He was a stoic guy and didn't care too much for chit chat unless he had something to say. Although he hadn't said anything since he arrived to observe Joker's piloting skills and operation of the technological marvel his people helped build his presence was almost menacing. His size and predatory appearance made him hard to ignore.

"Thrusters: check. Navagation: check. Internal emissions sync: check. All systems online. Drift: just under 1500k." Joker stated as he ran through the checklist after the jump. The ship's paint was barely dry and she was already on a mission so making sure everything was functioning normally was a high priority, especially with the oversize drive core and the experimental stealth system. Both things could blow the Normandy and her crew to cosmic dust if something went wrong and Sidda didn't survive this long with all the things that she'd been through just to be taken out by experimental technology.

"1500 is good." Nihlus stated, satisfied with how Joker handled the ship. "You're captain will be please." He added turning away to leave the bridge.

"Nihlus." She greeted as his eyes found her while turning away from Joker.

"Commander." He replied, the man was nothing if not predictable. She had decided to make it a point to get Nihlus to call her by her first name this mission, a daunting task. "If you'll excuse me."

"I hate that guy." Joker stated a few seconds later, counting on the Turian to be out of earshot. Sidda's brow furrowed to the comment but she said nothing, everyone was entitled to their opinion and Nihlus did have that effect on people. He didn't project a very friendly demeanor.

Kaidan shook his head from his seat at Navigation to the right. "Nihlus gave you a compliment…so you hate him?" Sidda was content to listen to the exchange between them, she was still learning about the crew and so far she had no issues. She felt that the biggest issue was going to be Nihlus and people's opinions of Turians. After her year on a Turian ship he felt like she owed Nihlus the same hospitality that they showed her when they finally accepted her as an equal.

Joker was aptly nicknamed though Sidda didn't know him well. She knew that he was the one who piloted the _Normandy_ during its test flight at _Arcturus_. The story was that Joker's application had been snubbed by the Turian General Invectus who discounted him because he was a cripple. Joker then took it upon himself to hijack the prototype, locked the real pilot away and took the ship out by himself leading the Alliance escort on a merry chase to catch them. Joker was eventually caught and damn near got court martialed but Invectus defended his skill and prowess as a fight. The tale was one told a lot on the ship. If Joker knew about it he said nothing and Sidda had never asked him directly. "You remember to zip up your flight suit on the way out of the bathroom that's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pin head…that's incredible." Joker defended and Sidda let out a quiet, airy chuckle to that analogy. He was cocky, but she'd never known a pilot who wasn't. "Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having them onboard. Call me paranoid."

"You're paranoid." Kaidan replied without missing a beat, he took the words right out of Sidda's mouth so again she remained silent. "The council helped fund this project; they have the right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

Joker grunted as he tapped a few more buttons on his console. "That is the 'official' story, but only an idiot believes the 'official' story."

"Joker, Nihlus is a good man…you don't have anything to worry about with him." She stated and Joker looked over his shoulder quickly then back down to the screen as if she startled him.

"I'm telling ya, Commander, there's more going on here than a simple shakedown run. I know Nihlus is your friend but why would the Council send him to babysit us?" he said making a valid point but before Sidda or Kaidan could think up a response the comm line activated.

"_Joker, status report."_ Anderson said, sharply.

"Just cleared the Mass Relay, Captain, stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid." Joker reported back quickly and Sidda grimaced to a few aches in her body from sparring with Nihlus. This was what she didn't miss.

"_Good. Find a Comm Buoy and link us into the network."_ Anderson ordered. _"I want mission reports relayed back to Command before we reach Eden Prime."_

"Aye, aye, Sir. Better brace yourself; I think Nihlus is headed your way." Joker warned but his warning wasn't received with gratitude.

"_He's already here."_ He informed now sounding rather annoyed with his pilot as Kaidan shook his head to the hot water that Joker might be in now. _"Tell Cdr. Shepard to meet me in the Comm room for a debriefing."_

Joker sheepishly cleared his throat. "Did you catch that, Commander?"

Sidda snorted and shook her head to Jokers antics. "Well, see, now you pissed him off."

"Captain always sounds like that when he's talking to me." Joker replied, seemingly unbothered by the embarrassment he may have caused himself at Nihlus' behalf.

"Can't possibly imagine why." Kaidan replied and Sidda chuckled to the Lieutenants tone.

* * *

The _Normandy_ was set up a lot like the _Lante_, in all honesty it was set up like a Turian frigate and they were identical in design. The _Lante_ was bigger than most but they all had the same design. Cockpit up front, CIC in the middle and then the War Room, or at least it was the War Room on the _Lante_, on the _Normandy _it was the Briefing/Comm Room. She was able to chat with various crew members on the way by; there was Pressley, the Navigator who was just as uneasy about Nihlus being around as Joker. So long as she didn't hear any racial talk against the Turians or Nihlus specifically she was content to let people's opinions be. Dr. Chakwas was an interesting woman, the ships chief Medical officer and quite seasoned at her job. Then there was the hot headed soldier named Jenkins, fortunately he was from Eden Prime, which might just come in handy for whatever reason they were heading to Eden Prime, which she still didn't know. Hopefully, all her questions would be answered so she could put the crew at ease, so far she'd heard a dozen different theories as to why they were going and taking a Spectre with them. She was curious to figure out who was right and who would cash in on the bet that had to be floating around the ship. Someone had to have a bet going, hell it's what she'd do.

She opened the door to the Comm room and found Nihlus pacing back and forth, he did like to pace but as she noticed…all Turians liked to pace. None of them liked to stand still for very long, they had to be doing something which she guessed was the reason for both galactic peace and war. As a general rule a bored Turian was very bad.

"Commander," he greeted and Sidda grumbled, she may just have to break his arm to get him to call her by her first name. "I was hoping you'd get here first."

That statement made her eyes narrow. "Something wrong?" she asked stepping toward him as the door closed behind her.

"Not at all." He assured and started to pace again. "I'm curious about this world we're going to. Eden Prime. I hear it's quite beautiful."

Sidda nodded with a slight shrug. She couldn't speak from firsthand experience but she told him what she knew. "It's a paradise…so I'm told; I've actually never been there." Being born on ships she's been most places but that didn't mean every colony.

Nihlus stopped moving and looked at her. "Yes…a paradise. Serene, tranquil, safe…Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people hasn't it, proof that not only can you establish colonies but you can protect them as well?" he said and turned from her clasping his hands behind his back. Sidda wasn't sure where he was going with this and her expression narrowed further. "But how safe is it really?"

That was it that was the straw. She was through dancing around this. "Alright, what are you getting at?"

Nihlus heard her suspicious and slightly irritated tone and turned toward her with the truth. "Your people are still newcomers, Sidda, the galaxy can be a very dangerous place." He said a folded his arms across his chest. "Is the Alliance truly ready for this?"

She blinked, both at the fact that he used her first name and what he said made very little sense with a lack of context. "In Spectre school is there a class you take to become this vague or is it a gift?"

Nihlus let out a chuckle to that. "Gift." He replied making another joke. Sidda was slowly peeling back the layers on him and he was starting to open up more.

"And he cracks another joke…Nihlus, I'm impressed." She giggled.

The door opened behind Sidda as Anderson strode in. The two tall men dwarfed her and she felt like she did when she was surrounded by Turians. "I think it's about time we tell the Commander what's really going on."

Sidda groaned, that was not the way to start a conversation. Who started a conversation like that? "Yeah, that doesn't wound ominous at all." She droned sarcastically.

"This mission is far more than a shakedown run." Nihlus began and Sidda put on her best sardonic tone to match her expression.

"No, really?" she replied quickly, she'd already come to that conclusion long ago. "First of all you're here…I know you missed your favorite human, Nihlus, but not enough to babysit the Normandy on her maiden voyage."

Inwardly, Nihlus was amused by her statement but maintained his stoic professionalism. "We're making a covert pick up on Eden Prime, that's why we needed the stealth drive." Anderson informed, moving past Sidda's sense of humor and prodding toward Nihlus.

"And the reason why your first officer was shut out of the loop, Sir?" she asked, Anderson knew that question was coming and had lobbied for her to be brought in on this a little earlier so he didn't spring it on her all at once.

"This one came down from the top, Commander, strictly need to know." He replied. "A research team unearthed some kind of beacon on Eden Prime, a Prothean Beacon."

Protheans…the race that gave the humans interstellar travel with just a small data cache found on Mars. They were the advanced race in recorded history that vanished 50,000 years ago but their legacy remained, all the races that existed were built on Prothean tech. This was important, especially is this 'beacon' was still intact. "Prothean…huh…well I can see why they sent someone to pick it up."

Nihlus was impressed by her quick deduction of the situation; he was expecting a question about why the Humans didn't keep it for themselves. She truly wasn't like any human he'd ever heard of. She thought about the big picture not just about personal gain and he respected her for that. "Obviously this goes beyond mere Human interests, Commander. I think you know that."

Sidda nodded. "Prothean technology benefits everyone." She stated and Nihlus kept his arms folded across his chest. It was time for the other news.

"The beacon isn't the only reason I'm here, Sidda." He said and she had to smile at the two for two use of her first name.

There was a pause as Anderson spoke up next. "Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander."

She raised her eyebrows; did he lose his memory after his torture? "What? More action?" she asked, her question more directed toward Nihlus.

"He's here to evaluate you." Anderson continued.

Sidda's expression narrowed, Nihlus had already seen her in 'action' three times…well, two and a half since he was teetering on death the third time. "Evaluate me for what?"

"Humanity has been pushing for this for a long time. We want a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Council and the Spectres represent the Citadels power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks…it shows how far the Alliance has come." Anderson explained, he was still beating around the bush and if someone didn't get to the point soon Sidda was going to start beating someone until they did.

"Wait a minute, what are you saying?" she asked, he was talking about the Spectres. Why would he be talking about the Spectres? There were no Human Spectres and probably wouldn't be for a very long time.

Now it was Nihlus' turn to speak up. He stepped toward her and looked down at the small human. "You held off a staggering enemy force during the Blitz. You showed not only courage but incredible skill. Your Biotics prevented Maridus and I from being killed, you adapted to the situation on Terra Nova, and you saved my life on Ihm'Shal. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres."

Sidda blinked, surprised colored her face. "You put my name forward? But I'm Human…why would you do that?" She kicked herself for that question. _"Well, that was dumbest thing you could have asked a man you call your friend."_ She thought to herself.

Nihlus saw nothing wrong with the question and happily answered it. "Not all Turians resent humans. Some of us see great potential in your species. Your mission on the _Lante_ did its job, Commander, an entire ship of the most highly trained people in the Turian military looked to you like a comrade in arms who was willing to lay down her life for them and I for one can vouch for your skills. The Spectres are an elite group; it's rare to find an individual with the skill set we seek. I don't care that you're human, Sidda, I only care that you can do the job."

"Humanity needs this, Commander, and you're the best person for the job." Anderson put in and Sidda shifted her eyes from Nihlus to Anderson.

She scoffed and scratched her forehead. "Sir, the last time you said those exact words to me a week later I was on a Turian ship for a year." She said and Anderson let out a chuckle.

"I'll need to observe your command and combat skills. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together." Nihlus said and Sidda returned her attention to the tall Turian.

"Nihlus, you've already seen me in combat." She stated.

She had a point but he was like to see her do more than a wild goose chase, a political mess, and a rescue mission that he honestly didn't remember much of. "I want to see more."

With that Sidda nodded and Anderson continued the briefing. "You will lead the ground team, Commander, go in and secure the beacon. Quietly. The Attican Traverse isn't the friendliest neighborhood and this might just be tempting enough for the Terminus system start a war over."

"_Captain, we've got a problem."_ Joker cut in over the comm.

"What is it, Joker?" Anderson asked the disembodied voice.

"_Transmission from the planet…you gotta see this."_ Joker stated and the view screen came alive as Anderson gave the order to put it through.

The screen changed to a distorted recording, there was obvious gunfire and what looked like a Marine squad. As expected things were chaotic but the general gist was that they were under attack by something. Sidda watched as both Anderson and Nihlus did the same, her eyes narrowed to a confusing image as it flashed across the screen for a second and then disappeared, it looked like a giant black hand reaching down the from the sky. The transmission lasted less than a minute and it cut out to static and white noise.

"_That's all there is, Captain, everything cuts out from there. I'm not getting comm chatter from the planet at all."_ Joker stated.

"Reverse and hold at 38.5." The screen rolled back and paused on strange looking ship that was shaped like a giant hand.

"What the hell is that?" she said out loud and glanced over to Nihlus, his eyes were fixated on the monitor and she could hear his mandible click and sign that the Turian was uneasy about something.

"Suit up, Commander, I want that beacon on board as soon as possible but do it quietly." Anderson ordered. "Tell Alenko and Jenkins to gear up, you're going down as soon as we get there."

Sidda nodded and patted Nihlus' arm indicating she was ready to go. The two of them left the comm room and Nihlus headed for the cargo bay as Sidda collected her men. She ordered Jenkins to follow Nihlus and trotted up to the Bridge to grab Kaidan. They all geared up and prepped for their first mission together.


	2. Chapter 2: Eden Prime

_Authors Note: Okay, this chapter damn near killed me. Lots of hours went into splicing this one together from its humpty dumpty state. Anywho, I give you Chapter Two: Eden Prime. _

_Thank you to the readers, favorites, and followers :) Please enjoy and as always feedback is most welcome._

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Two: Eden Prime**

The _Normandy_ broke Eden Prime's atmosphere as Sidda paced Nihlus with Kaidan and Jenkins behind her. Seeing Sidda in her trademark black and yellow armor brought back some memories for Nihlus, somehow seeing her decked out in her armor and loaded with weapons confirmed his backing of her joining the Spectres.

"Go in secure the Beacon and get the hell out of there, Commander." Anderson stated. "Secondary priority is to find out what the hell is going on down there."

Sidda nodded as she checked her pistol then tucked it away on her side. "Alright, Nihlus, you're with me…Alenko, Jenkins take-…"

"No, Commander, I'll scout ahead." Nihlus stated as the bay door began to open.

"Oh, no. No, no…Nihlus, you're not going alone." Sidda stated and Nihlus didn't seem to care. These two were going to suss out just who was in charge sometime during their 'time' together. Nihlus was used to working alone and Sidda was used to being in charge, a nasty mix. They were both stubborn, Nihlus was born that way and the _Lante _made Sidda's worse.

"I'll be fine." Nihlus stated and snorted, she'd heard that before.

"You always say that and then you never are." She stated. "I'm still waiting for a mission with you that doesn't involve gunfire."

Nihlus growled and glared down at her. "This is not up for debate, Commander." Nihlus scolded in a raised tone. "I will scout ahead and meet you at the Beacon."

Sidda's temper nearly flared, she didn't like being cut off like that. This was her mission and he was the observer but here he was putting her in her place and refusing back up.

"Let us back you up." Kaidan said and Nihlus shook his head, he'd made his decision. He checked his shotgun.

"I'm better on my own." He stated and Sidda grumbled to the most stubborn Turian she'd ever met.

The ship slowed to a rate he was happy with and jumped off the edge of the ramp landing on his feet 10 feet down. Sidda shook her head as he trotted off while the _Normandy_ touched down. "Stubborn bastard." She stated loudly.

"Get in and get out, Commander." Anderson stated and Sidda nodded.

"We'll watch his back, Sir." She stated with an obvious grumble toward him. "If I don't shoot him first." She muttered through the grumble.

* * *

Eden Prime was a beautiful planet, it reminded Kaidan of home and for Jenkins it was home, but for Sidda it was just another planet. She'd been born and raised on ships and hadn't set foot on Earth until she was 17, honestly she was more comfortable on ships then she was on planets but she had come to appreciate the wide open spaces since ships were one giant rat cage.

Sidda left it to Jenkins to lead; the kid was from Eden Prime after all. As they moved along the path down the dig site Sidda paused along with the rest.

"Oh my God." Jenkins said. "What happened to them?"

Sidda looked over the charred human bodies with the same question only she didn't voice it out loud. Whatever killed them reduced the bodies to burnt skeletal remains. "What in the hell could have done that, Commander?" Kaidan asked and a Sidda stood up straight.

"I don't know." She replied and decided she'd spent enough time examining the bodies. "Let's go. Jenkins, take us out, get us to the dig site."

Jenkins nodded. "Yes, Ma'am." He said and Sidda lingered looking at the bodies before heading out.

"Nihlus." Sidda said into the Comm. "We've got some bodies here." She stated and there was a pause on the line before Nihlus answered.

"Yes." Nihlus replied. "I found a few too. Be careful, Commander."

Sidda nodded and continued on with her men.

* * *

Nihlus examined the human bodies at his feet. When Sidda made her report to him he had found several bodies already. The young woman before him was shredded and burned; the weapon used tore her body apart and cauterized the mangled flesh. He had seen hundreds of wounds from different weapons but now quite frankly he was at a loss as to what kind of weapon could have created so much damage.

He rolled the body over onto its back and shook his head to the continued damage before leaving it alone and moving on toward his destination.

So far the colony had been thoroughly uneventful, just creepy as hell. It was way too quiet and the dead bodies were a definite indicator that all was not well. Sidda couldn't help but think of the mission to Oriso, most of that mission she still didn't remember but it started out too quiet and fairly creepy also. In that moment Sidda missed her Turian crew, what she wouldn't give to see them again…what she wouldn't give to have them right now. Nov, Rajin, Ruvvak, and even Cerrus would make this mission go a hell of a lot faster no matter what the issue was. On the other hand judging by her track record on the _Lante_ their presence could make things go to hell faster as well. Something unfriendly had to be on this planet and judging by the unknown creepy looking ship they saw in the vid Sidda wasn't going to like it.

Jenkins stopped as he saw movement up ahead. "Commander." He said drawing her attention to it.

Sidda focused and saw a figure in white armor running toward them. Whoever it was turned out to be an obvious soldier as it dropped down behind some cover to try and lose the drone that was chasing them. Sidda and her team picked up the pace and got closer to render better aid as more drones appeared and fired at the soldier in white.

"Scatter and take cover." Sidda ordered as the drones picked up on them as well and began firing.

Jenkins dove to the left and tried to get to the nearest boulder; his move wasn't fast enough and lined up on him and fired several times. "Jenkins!" Kaidan shouted but returned his attention to the ensuing firefight. The soldiers' Avenger barked and destroyed several drones with a few well-placed shots.

Sidda registered that Jenkins was hit but couldn't move from her position to assess him so she and Kaidan returned fire to help the lone solider. The area was swarmed with drones but that only made the autonomous weapons easier to hit. Sidda used a few throw fields to bounce a few of them away like golf balls as several more exploded from Kaidan's rather powerful warp strikes.

The area was raining debris as the three of them destroyed every mech they saw. When the last one fell Sidda and Kaidan lingered a moment before lowering their guard, Sidda was especially suspicious and Kaidan followed the 'Hero of Elysiums' lead.

Sidda eyed the area and spared a glance to the soldier who seemed just as suspicious as she was. "You alright, Soldier?" Sidda asked as the woman got to her feet.

She nodded. "Yes, ma'am, I appreciate the help."

Sidda lowered her rifle somewhat satisfied that no more drones were going to come out of the woodwork. "Name and rank?" she asked directly to the woman.

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212, the Marine detachment stationed here." Ashley answered properly as Sidda looked over her shoulder to Kaidan who was kneeling down next to Jenkins' body.

"How's Jenkins?" She asked and Kaidan's pause told her everything she needed to know.

"He's dead, Commander." Kaidan replied quietly and Sidda approached him looking over his shoulder before kneeling down to the officer she lost.

"Damn it." She said quietly and sighed putting a hand on Kaidan's shoulder. "Come on…there's nothing we can do for him now." She stated and stood but Kaidan couldn't act that callous. Sidda was a seasoned officer and he knew that but he didn't know she could just shut out the feelings he was having about losing an officer.

"Commander-…" he said and Sidda turned back to him.

"We'll come back for his body later but need to keep moving, Lieutenant." She explained and returned her attention to Ashely. "I'm Cdr. Shepard this is Lt. Alenko." Sidda introduced. "What happened here?"

Ashely was still on her adrenalin high but seemed to be coming off it a little; she paced and checked her rifle. "Oh, man…I don't even know. One minute everything's normal then that mothership appeared and Geth poured out from everywhere." She explained and Sidda narrowed her eyes along with Kaidan who looked to Sidda puzzled.

"Geth?" Kaidan questioned his tone taking the words right out of Sidda's mouth.

"What the hell are Geth doing here?" she asked and thought about the reason that they were there. Eden Prime was far from the Veil and they had no reason to be there. They must have been there for the Beacon though she didn't know why.

Kaidan apparently had the same train of thought. "They must be here for the Beacon." He said and Sidda looked over at him. "Same as us."

"Why would they be interested in a Prothean beacon?" Sidda asked and Kaidan certainly didn't have an answer to that but she really didn't expect him to.

Ashley shrugged, the soldier seemed frazzled. "I don't know." She replied and let out a ragged breath before regaining all of her composure.

This wasn't something she was going to get an answer to right now, there was no way to know why Geth were here unless she questioned one. All she knew about them was what she learned in school, the legendary cautionary tale in artificial intelligence. The Quarians taught the galaxy a valuable lesson with their failure. "Where's the rest of your unit?" she asked walking toward the bits and pieces of the Geth drones.

"Dead…I think." Ashley answered and Sidda narrowed her eyes to the last comment.

"You think?" She inquired sternly. "What do you mean 'you think', Chief?" she asked again in a harsher tone.

"We were overrun…our only choice was to retreat." Ashley explained and Sidda took a step toward her.

"How does retreat lead to 'you think' they're dead?" she asked her tone hostile toward the NCO.

"We were getting cut to ribbons, Commander, the Geth ran right through us…I didn't have a choice but to sound a retreat…there's no one else." Ashley explained and Sidda's opinion of the soldier dipped, abandoning a unit didn't sit well with her…it never did even before she was transformed into Turian by Victus and his guys.

"Commander…" Kaidan began nudging her to stay on course; they still had a mission to complete.

Sidda cocked her head back to him and eyed the Chief knowing what Kaidan was going to say next. "We need that Beacon; can you take us to it?" she asked letting the obvious building distain for Chief Williams show through.

Ashley looked the Commander up and down and could see she wasn't pleased about her explanation but was ready to defend her actions. In the end she nodded knowing full well she was going to have to explain herself in more detail later. "Yes, ma'am, this way."

* * *

Nihlus heard the weapons fire in the distance and paused. "Commander, are you alright?" he asked, he found himself pretty worried about her.

It took a moment but Sidda responded. _"Sort of, one KIA but I picked up a Marine from the 212. This place is under attack by the Geth, Nihlus, watch yourself."_ She answered and Nihlus looked behind him back toward the body he had examined. Now it made sense, the burns and damage from her wounds hit him; a Geth plasma rifle or shotgun, no mistaking it now.

"Why would the Geth be here?" he asked but like Sidda asking Kaidan he didn't expect her to have an answer to that.

"_I'm not sure_." She answered. _"The Beacon was taken from the dig sight to the Spaceport, we'll meet you there."_

Nihlus nodded and thought about trotting back to the body to study it more closely but decided not to; he didn't like the idea of Geth in the area and certainly didn't like the idea of being separated now. He was regretting his lone wolf brashness now. He should have listened to Sidda and picked up the pace.

* * *

Following Ashley garnered little chit chat between the three of them; Sidda was used to compartmentalizing the less endearing aspects of her career. Losing people was never something she enjoyed but it was part of the job.

As they crested the hill the area looked like it had seen lots of battle, modular units were in flames and there were several bodies littering the ground but there was something else that was extremely unsettling. Sidda's pace slowed as she saw one of the most horrific things she had ever seen before her. Giant spikes nearly 20 feet tall were topped with human bodies. It reminded her of Earth ancient history, Vlad the Impaler. What did this or better yet who did this and why? "Oh my god…" she breathed the horror in her voice apparent for all to hear and see as the same emotion colored her face. "are those the colonists?"

Kaidan and Ashley also had the same reaction of horror. They didn't have an answer to that but then again, who could? The Geth were a virtual unknown but what was the purpose behind this? Sidda stepped up to the spike nearest her in order to examine it closer. She looked up to the body that had been impaled; it had slid halfway down the spike due to its own weight, shredded clothes dangled from the body swaying in the breeze. As soon as she got close enough to touch it the spike dropped and the figure moved. Sidda's first instinct was to aim her weapon at it, this creature didn't look human anymore…she didn't know what it looked like.

The creature screeched and jumped on her discharging an energy pulse that made her tingle all over; it felt like an amped up static charge. The creature pulsed again and disoriented Sidda making her fall backward with the creature still trying to hit and scratch her. The creature was stronger than it appeared and Sidda was having a hard time fighting it off with the static charge it was putting off.

"Commander!" Kaidan yelled as Ashley fire a well-placed round into the creatures head blasting it off of Sidda.

Sidda scrambled to her feet and staggered back toward Kaidan and Ashley. Her unsteady gait prompted Kaidan to steady her; he caught her and let her lean on him until she regained her control. The rest of the spikes around them dropped and more of the creatures attacked. "Don't let them touch you." Sidda stated as another fight commenced. The creatures were melee creatures and didn't seem to carry any weapons; they ran right up to them and gave off an energy pulse but Sidda had the others back up and pick them off with relative ease. Alone they were easy to defeat but the three of them got the impression that if they swarmed it was bad news.

It didn't take too long to clear these creatures out leaving the three of them one more mystery. What the hell were they? They looked like they used to be Humans and Sidda got this sinking feeling that they were the colonists, in all the things that she'd heard about the Geth she'd never heard of anything like this. There was an occasional skirmish that surfaced about Mercs tangling with Geth too close to the Veil but no reports about putting men on spikes.

"What the hell are those?" Ashley asked as Kaidan flipped a dead one over with his foot aiming his pistol at it.

Sidda got closer and crouched down to get a better look. "No clue." She replied quietly and tapped her comm. "Nihlus, do you copy?"

"_Go ahead, Commander, I heard more gunfire…are you okay?"_ Nihlus answered promptly.

"We just had an unsettling encounter." She said. "Have you found any giant spike about 20 feet tall, lovingly topped with humanoid creatures?" she asked and stood up straight backing away from the dead creature.

"_I've seen the spikes but nothing on them."_ He said and Sidda scanned the area, this mission was getting creepier and creepier by the second.

"I don't like this, Nihlus, something is very, very wrong." She stated not afraid to voice her gut feeling to him. "I think they're the colonists…the Geth are…transforming them somehow, I'm not sure."

Nihlus paused in his movement to kneel down and examine a disabled Geth, it had been peppered thoroughly with weapons fire, and its light had been shot out completely no doubt the culprit for its current disabled state. He looked ahead seeing two dead human soldiers, members of the 212, he had passed a few other bodies flying Alliance colors and displaying the markings of the 212 Marine Detachment. _"I understand, Sidda, thanks for the warning."_ He stated and rose to his feet looking ahead of him, his keen eyesight able to narrow down his destination. While Sidda had been busy encountering Geth at every turn he used her distraction to move freely, if the Geth were concentrated on her they weren't looking for him. He didn't like using Sidda as bait or placing her in that much harm's way but he knew she was tough enough to handle it. For a biotic she was more tactically adept than anyone else he'd ever met. _"I can see the Spaceport…I'm going on ahead."_ Nihlus said and Sidda cursed.

"No, Nihlus, wait for me." She stated and looked back to Ashley. "How far from the Spaceport, Chief?"

"Right up the road, Commander, five minutes tops." Ashley replied and Sidda relayed that to Nihlus. "Who is this Nihlus?" she asked Kaidan as Sidda continued to bicker with Nihlus.

"A Turian Spectre, best in the galaxy sent to oversee the delivery of the Beacon to the Citadel." Kaidan explained.

"Five minutes, Nihlus, just five minutes. Wait for me." She stated her tone reflecting an order that she knew damn well he was going to ignore.

Nihlus huffed to her insistence that he wait for her but there was no reason to. Now that he knew what he was up against he could adapt and overcome. That was what made him such a great Spectre. _"I'll be fine, Commander."_ He replied and could hear Sidda growl from her position far away from him, she had spent enough around Turians to adopted the Turian temper and learned how to growl with the best of them.

She was going to kill Nihlus, the stubborn son of a bitch. "No, goddamnit, I've got a bad feeling about this. Wait for me." The comm line ended and Sidda cursed a string of colorful metaphors. "Stubborn son of a bitch." She hissed and looked back to Ashley and Kaidan. "Double time it."

* * *

For as big as Nihlus was he moved quietly, Sidda was going to kill him for being so stubborn but that wasn't something he worried about. He knew what he was doing and didn't need Sidda mothering him. As he approached the station he saw a figure and dropped down behind a crate to decide how he was going to approach this. He came out of cover and trained his rifle on the figure; Nihlus paused surprised when he recognized who the person was.

"Saren?" he stated his tone mired in surprise. He wasn't supposed to be here, this was his mission not Sarens…why would the Council send him as well?

The other Spectre turned toward him. "Nihlus." Saren stated his voice cold, as it usually was. Contrary to the popular belief, Saren was a very charming and charismatic turian and Nihlus knew him well. He was like a brother to him. That being said Nihlus could hear something off in his voice. He attributed it the argument they had after hearing Nihlus had nominated a human for the Spectres. Saren's extreme hate for the Humans caused a rift between them and the last time they spoke it wasn't very friendly.

Saren looked different, a few years ago he was severely injured in combat and as a result he had several synthetic implants on his jaw and mandible. Nihlus knew he had more synthetic pieces as a result from that explosion but that didn't account for the obviously synthetic left arm. "What happened to your arm?" he asked and eyed the arm. It bore a striking resemblance to the Geth he examined on the way in.

Saren's expression didn't change. There was something off about how he was acting but Nihlus couldn't put his finger on it. "Just a prosthetic…a lot has happened since we last saw each other."

Nihlus didn't buy that but Saren was his teacher, his friend. He had no reason to feel threatened by him but his presence remained a mystery that he couldn't explain. "This isn't your mission, Saren. What are you doing here?" he asked relaxing and walking toward him.

Saren stood face to face with his protégé. "The Council thought you could use some help on this one." Saren replied and patted Nihlus' right shoulder with his good arm.

"I wasn't expecting to find the Geth here." Nihlus commented, he wondered why the Council would send another Spectre out on such a simple mission. They had no idea about the attack until they reached orbit, so as far as he knew the only people who knew that Eden Prime was under attack was the crew of the _Normandy._ Something didn't add up. "The situation is bad." He finished as Saren circled around presumably checking the perimeter for more Geth to show up.

Saren truly could have gone the rest of his life without seeing Nihlus on this planet but of course the one person who finds him was the one person he never meant to harm. "Don't worry. I've got everything under control." He stated and drew his Spectre pistol aiming it at the back of his friends head. One simple action would change him forever.

Nihlus spied movement in the direction he knew Sidda was coming from and could see the yellow stripes on her armor like a pulsing beacon.

Sidda made her way toward the Spaceport Ashley said the Beacon had been moved to and now they were finally regrouping with Nihlus. Odds were that he was already waiting for her to get there, he may have been irritatingly stubborn but he was fast as hell. "Hurry up." She said over her shoulder at a level that both Kaidan and Ashley could hear but not loud enough to announce her presence to everyone else in the area. As she approached the crest of the hill she looked down over the station and saw Nihlus standing with his back to another figure, he looked like a Turian…a very odd Turian. It dawned on Sidda that it was Saren, Nihlus' mentor and fellow Spectre, but panic spiked within her as she saw Saren aiming a pistol at the back of Nihlus' head.

A single shot rang out from the pistol and Sidda watched in horror as the round ripped through Nihlus' skull producing a blue mist of blood. Sidda could hear someone scream 'no' but it took a second for her brain to realize that person was her. Nihlus' body crumpled forward to the floor and Sidda drew her pistol as fast as she could. Her scream obviously startled Saren and Sidda fired as soon as she sighted him. Her round didn't miss but it only grazed Saren knocking his shields down.

Kaidan and Ashley appeared next to her as Geth poured out of everywhere covering Saren's escape. The firefight was one for the ages, the only thing Sidda and her squad could see was a ton of Geth making their way up the hill toward them.

Sidda tossed out some of the most impressive biotics that she could think of. Between her and Kaidan there were dark energy explosions that shook the ground. The onslaught of Geth was enormous but it didn't seem to stop Sidda, the strength of her powers tore the Geth to pieces like they were nothing at all. More creatures seemed to come out of nowhere and swarmed them but they were no match for the powerful, fury filled biotics Sidda wielded.

The level of biotic destruction was unheard of; Kaidan was a powerful biotic and being an L2 he was probably more powerful than Sidda was on any given day…except today…Sidda's anger amplified her power to the point she rivaled any Asari. Once Sidda was satisfied with the demise of the Geth that advanced on them she made a swift bee line for Nihlus shooting the Geth that were still moving along the way.

She sprinted at her top speed to Nihlus. "Nihlus!" Sidda yelled seeing his body. "Oh no, no, no, no, no." she said crashing down to her knees next to his motionless body. He wasn't dead. Nihlus couldn't die; he was the Spectre of Spectres and had survived worse. There was a pool of blood under his head and he wasn't breathing, she rolled him onto his back and let out a dreaded cry. "Oh no. Damnit." She said her voice showing the emotions she was feeling. She had a short list of true friends and he was one of them. The exit wound was just above his left eye. "God damnit!" she blurted trying to contain tears. "I told you to wait for me, you stubborn son of a bitch."

"Commander." Kaidan said trying to be gentle about it. "We have to go."

Sidda didn't understand, the last time she checked Saren and Nihlus were on the same team. Why would Saren do this? That wasn't her only question. The other one was what the hell was he doing here? Eden Prime wasn't exactly a tourist hotspot for Turians and as far as she knew the only Turian assigned was Nihlus. These were questions she'd happily ask Saren when she caught his ass. The interrogation that Nihlus went through would pale in comparison to what she was going to do to Saren.

Sidda set her jaw and looked down at the body of her friend. His striking colony markings were forever blemished by the exit wound above his right eye. "I'm sorry, Nihlus."

"Commander, we need to go." Ashley said and, while Kaidan's gentle prodding didn't bother her, Ashley's garnered a glare.

Sidda got to her feet and stalked toward Ashley. "Where's the fucking beacon?" she demanded her tone exceptionally harsh. Her body language was aggressive and Ashley stood up a little straighter unsure about how to take the threatening behavior from Sidda.

"They probably moved it to the secondary platform." She answered. "Easier to pick up and more secure."

"Then let's go." She snapped readying her Avenger. Ashley didn't question and scurried out first since she knew where she was going. Kaidan looked Sidda up and down, he didn't know her well but he could deduce that she was fairly pissed off. She considered Nihlus a friend and he couldn't blame her for being angry, hell, if he saw a friend of his executed before his eyes he'd be pissed off too.

* * *

On the secondary cargo train Sidda paced like a caged lion, she'd spent so much time with the Turians that she had started to act like them when they were angry. The learned behavior from Victus, Cerrus, and Nov was heavily reflected to those who knew what to look for but to Kaidan and Ashley she just looked like one determined bitch. She checked her rifle for the third time as the cargo train slowed to the secondary platform.

"Lead the way, Chief." She ordered coldly and followed the Marine down the first set of stairs. Kaidan brought up the rear scanning the area to make sure they didn't miss anything or get flanked by the enemy.

As they moved cautiously his Omni-tool beeped. He tapped it to check what it had found. "Commander, wait." Kaidan said as he tapped the holographic interface a few times to get a better idea of what he was looking at.

Sidda stopped sharply and looked back at him the determination on her face to catch Saren was almost unsettling. "What do you mean wait?"

Kaidan examined his Omni-tool. "I'm picking up thermal explosives." He stated and moved around to follow the indicator on his Omni-tool. He found the source and knelt down next to it. "It's a bomb, Commander."

"Bomb?" she questioned a little surprised that Saren or the Geth or whoever was the ringleader of this mess planted explosives on the spaceport.

"Yes, Ma'am." Kaidan replied and Sidda grumbled and saw movement from the other side of the platform. She recognized her target and the urge to kill him surged.

"Saren!" she shouted loudly trying to draw his attention as she fired, all but forgetting about what Kaidan had said. The shot hit his barriers and she cursed firing again and again hoping she could knock his barriers down. It was news to her that he was a damn biotic. The only biotic Turian she'd ever met was Desala but like any other species they did exist. Saren returned fire but only a few shots before ducking around a corner and left her line of sight. "Fuck!" she cursed, she wasn't about to lose him…that bastard was going to answer for the murder he just committed. "Let's go!"

"Commander," Kaidan called. "the bomb. We have to disarm it."

Sidda warred with herself; the side that wanted to exact swift justice on Saren no matter the consequences was tempered by the rational side that told her she needed to do her job. "Damnit…" she cursed watching Saren get further and further away. She growled out of frustration and turned toward Kaidan. "Disarm it." She barked to him her tone angry and frustrated.

"Commander, Geth, three o clock." Ashley announced making Sidda take up a cover position.

"Work fast, Alenko." She ordered as the weapons fire commenced toward the Geth that started approaching, obviously covering Saren's escape.

The Sentinel knew his job, he wasn't an engineer but he did have a knack for technology. "Commander, I'm picking up three more charges. Any one of them could level the area and destroy the Beacon."

Sidda grumbled, there was no way she could catch Saren now. "Fine, lets locate them and shut them down." She stated. The benefit to the cargo train platform was that it effectively funneled the Geth to them in a line. Two of the bombs were in that line and disarmed along the way, Kaidan was good she gave him that but it still didn't make her feel any better. Saren slipped away leaving his horde of Geth to cover his escape.

Ashley was proving to be a nice recruit; the soldier was very adept at her job. Her combat was adequate and she was a hell of a shot. The jury was still out on if Sidda liked her personally, but as a solider she couldn't fault her.

"One more to go, Commander." Kaidan announced as they moved up following his Omni-tool to the final explosive. Its location was a little harder to cover as the last group of Geth was guarding the area where the Beacon was. The sheer number of Geth was starting to overwhelm them in a tactically bad area. Sidda's shockwave pulsed through the ground knocking unshielded Geth off their feet but a bigger one closed in on her and got within arm's length. Sidda grunted as she was knocked back by a backhanded strike from its rifle. She mustered all the biotic power she could into a throw and hit the large Geth square in the chest blasting it backward away from her. The strain of that hit coursed through her brain, there was certainly a migraine going to form from that.

In the distance she saw the large unidentified ship lift off, Sidda cursed, if that was Saren's ship he was now far beyond her reach. The Geth did their job well and now she was going to turn them into scrap metal. Her anger now fueled her biotics and somewhere along the line she forgot about saving the colony from a Geth attack…she didn't care anymore. Her main focus was killing Saren because he shot Nihlus in the back of the head.

When the last Geth fell she turned to follow the giant crustacean looking ship ascending from the planet. She lost him, she had Saren within her grasp but she let him go. It was unsettling to realize that she was willing to sacrifice the colony to avenge her friend, a Turian, she knew people who would lynch her for that thought but she couldn't help it. Witnessing Nihlus' 'execution' wasn't something she was going to forget anytime soon.

* * *

Sidda couldn't help but think of Nihlus and his untimely end; she was upset but had a job to do. The Spaceport was secure, the Geth were destroyed but she lost Saren, the unknown ship, and the reason for the attack on Eden Prime. She glowered at the alien device and felt like destroying it right then and there. "Nihlus died for this?" she snapped looking at the Beacon sitting on the platform. "Shepard to _Normandy…_"

Kaidan heard her but stepped closer to the Beacon studying it, after a moment something came over him. The sound of Sidda's voice melted away and he felt like he was drifting away, entranced by the Beacon. Sidda finished her order to pick them up to Joker and she glowered at Ashley, she still didn't know what to make of her…honestly she didn't trust her. As she listened to the Chief talk Sidda spied Kaidan getting closer to the beacon but something wasn't right. She reacted and pushed past Ashley then grabbed Kaidan pulling him back from the Beacon. She didn't mean to make him crash to the ground but the Lieutenant did and Sidda tried to back away from the alien machine but the forces controlling it ensnared her instead. Sidda was paralyzed and she lost all sense of what was going on around her.

"Commander!" Kaidan shouted as he shot back to his feet and moved to pull her back.

"No, no! Don't touch her!" Ashley stated pulling him back.

Sidda's body was ridged and about two feet off the ground. She was grunting involuntarily and seemed to be in pain, they had no idea what was going on but Sidda knew nothing about what was going on around her. Flashes of unknown images flood her mind; they were confusing, horrific, and overwhelming. The beacon exploded and blasted Sidda backward a good 10 feet causing her topple head over heels before coming to rest on her stomach unconscious.

"Commander?" Kaidan exclaimed rushing to her side and rolling her over gently. "Commander, can you hear me?"

Sidda was completely unconscious; whatever the beacon had done to her incapacitated her on every level.

* * *

Kaidan paced in the Medical Bay looking at Sidda's still body. It had been nearly 16 hours since she was rendered unconscious by the Prothean Beacon, 16 hours since their mission took a catastrophic turn for the worse. He and Ashley radioed the _Normandy_ and had to tell Anderson just how badly things had gone. They collected what bodies they could, including that of Jenkins and Nihlus, and transported them to the _Normandy_ but even the frigate couldn't take all the dead. The Alliance was contacted to send aid to the Colony as they set course for the Citadel.

For hours Sidda didn't move, she was just still. He eyed her as he paced around worried about her, she'd been unconscious too long…something had to be wrong.

He could see her dog tag hanging loose over her clothing; he spied a pendent hanging off the chain that resembled a Turian Colony pin. Vyrnnus carried one but it looked much different, obviously a different colony. Seeing the pendent confirmed the rumors he'd heard that Sidda was a mate or lover of a Turian. The Turian General she served under on the _Lante._ He blinked and looked away from the tags after realizing he was staring and brought himself back to the current situation.

Anderson was not pleased with the outcome of a mission that he believed would be relatively easy for a Spectre and the great Cdr. Shepard to conduct and had grilled Kaidan for nearly an hour about just what the hell went wrong. Geth sighting, a colony destroyed along with a working Prothean Beacon, and a Council Spectre dead was the epitome of a bad mission. Kaidan did what he could to fill in the blanks but Anderson wanted to hear the full version from Sidda.

Sidda was dreaming, more like having a nightmare. The same repeated images flashed through her mind, graphic horrible scenes of an alien race being ripped apart like a video feed set on a loop. It was burned into her mind, something that she would never forget but perhaps that was the intent. She got the distance impression that this was a warning of some kind but she couldn't put it together. The images started to drift away but were by no means gone and she felt herself start to wake up hearing a voice that she recognized, it was Kaidan's.

"Dr. Chakwas, I think she's waking up." He said and Sidda opened her eyes seeing both Kaidan and Dr. Chakwas looking down at her.

"Commander?" Chakwas questioned as she opened her eyes and brought everything into focus. "Commander, can you hear me?" she asked as Sidda started to move around more. Sidda simply nodded to Chakwas as she attempted to sit up. "How do you feel?"

Sidda's head was pounding, she had ranked the worst headaches she'd ever had…this one fell somewhere around the after effects of Oriso and drunken debacle at Oblivion. "Like the morning after shore leave with a bunch of Turians." She groaned as she hands went to her temples. "What…what happened?"

"The Beacon…it did something to you." Kaidan stated and Sidda started to remember the events that unfolded. "I was careless, Commander, I got too close to the Beacon and must have triggered some kind of automatic defense." He stated and Sidda commended his admission that it was his fault even though she was pretty certain it wasn't.

"No." Sidda said and grimaced to the throb that went from the left temple to the right and then back again. "It's alright, Lieutenant, you didn't do anything wrong."

Kaidan allowed a smile to appear for a second then covered it up. "You pushed me out of the way and it did something to you…then it exploded."

"You've been unconscious for nearly 16 hours, Commander, Lt. Alenko carried you back to the ship." Chakwas added and Sidda looked over her shoulder to him and nodded her appreciation.

"Thanks." She said softly trying not to upset her throbbing head any more than it already was.

The rest of the mission came back to her and she came to the memory of Nihlus. "What about Nihlus?" she asked quickly and felt a slight pang of guilt for asking about him and not the soldier she had lost.

Kaidan shifted his weight from foot to foot and cleared his throat. "We recovered his body, along with Jenkins and few others…I'm sorry, Commander."

"Commander, can you tell me what the Beacon did to you?" Chakwas asked trying to steer the conversation back to the medical mystery that shrouded her for the past 16 hours. "Your brain waves registered unusual delta waves…were you dreaming?"

Sidda scoffed as she rubbed the back of her neck in the hopes to make the pain in her head dull away. "I think nightmare is more apt a description, Doc." She stated and shuddered as she thought of those horrible images again. "It was…a vision…I guess…a vision of death. Our death maybe, I'm not really sure."

The door to the Med Bay opened and Anderson walked in, as Alenko stood at attention Sidda would take the reprimand and remained precariously slouched on the bed. "Doctor, how is she?"

"With a little rest, she'll be fine." Chakwas stated and that was all Anderson needed to hear.

"Excuse us, both of you, I need to speak with the Commander." He stated and Chakwas walked out with Kaidan. "Do you mind telling me what the hell happened down there?" he asked even before Kaidan and Chakwas left the room.

Sidda had but one answer to that and it wasn't the one that Anderson was going to want to hear but she said it anyway. "I have no clue." She replied. "I would have bet money on seeing Pirates, Slavers, Mercs, hell Santa Claus down there but Geth? Geth…of all the things to attack a colony so far from the Veil."

"And what the hell is this I hear about Nihlus being killed by another Spectre?" he continued as Sidda remained in her position sitting on the bed. She still hadn't found the energy to get up and move around.

"By Saren." She stated firmly and Anderson's facial expression twisted to confusion.

"Saren?" he asked. "You're sure?"

Sidda nodded, that she would remember until the day she died. "Absolutely. I remember seeing him on the _Lante_ after we rescued Nihlus from Ihm'Shal…Nov told me his name was Saren. Unmistakable, that son of a bitch put a gun to Nihlus' head and pulled the fucking trigger."

Anderson's personal dealings with Saren told him that she was probably telling the truth. "The Council won't believe this." He stated. "Saren is their top agent they'll never believe he executed his protégé let alone a fellow Spectre." Sidda got up off the bed now fairly aggravated; she didn't care about the Council or the Colony, now she had one mission and one mission alone: to kill Saren, end of story. "And the Beacon was destroyed, the Council won't like that either."

Sidda growled and started toward the back room of the Medical Bay, the designated Morgue. "Then they're just going to have to get used to fucking disappointment." She snapped and opened the door. She felt her heart sink and deep well of anger start to surge as she saw Nihlus' body on one of the tables, she clearly remembered his last moments the blue mist that sprayed as the round exited his forehead. "I'm going to kill Saren." She stated confidently and closed the door.

"You can't strong arm the Council, Commander, they'll need proof." Anderson stated as Sidda turned toward him. "And you will cool your jets before you talk to anyone and that's an order." He stated making Sidda glare quietly. "We should be at the Citadel soon…I'll speak to Udina about getting us an audience with the Council and I want you there."

Sidda nodded heeding his advice to calm down. "And what about what the Beacon showed me? My vision…I guess. I'm damn sure that was a warning." She asked and Anderson had the same opinion that she had at the back of her mind.

"Keep it as our ace. They Council might not believe you…hell I'm not even sure I believe you." He stated and Sidda couldn't blame him there, if she wasn't the one having the vision she'd probably not believe it either. "We should be nearing the Citadel, I suggest you prepare."

* * *

Sidda nodded and quietly made her way out of the Medical Bay. What she wouldn't give to go back and do this whole mission over again, she'd given anything to save Nihlus. It killed her to know that if she had just been a little more forceful with him she could have been there to back him up, she could have saved him, been there to watch his back and prevent someone from putting a round in it. He just got married and she didn't even want to think about Rajin learning about this, there was a strong possibility that Rajin was going to blame her for this and she couldn't fault her there. Sidda regretted not attending the ceremony, right now she regretted a lot of things, and her friend's death was her fault.

She stopped at her locker and glanced over her shoulder to see Ashley, it was odd to see the Marine out of her armor but she looked like any other female Marine she'd ever met. The hair was pulled back into an inverted braid and she was slim but fit. Taller than Sidda by a few inches she had jet black hair, tanned skin, and dark eyes. Sidda furrowed her brow not really clear why she was on board. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, her tone the aggressive one she had when she wasn't in the mood to be diplomatic. Another trait she learned from her Turian family.

Ashley let the tone slide, this time, and answered. "Capt. Anderson wanted me to come along; he thought you might be able to use me."

Sidda scoffed, so far she wasn't overly impressed. "Can't imagine why." She muttered and Ashley became defensive to her tone.

"Do you have a problem with me, Commander?" she asked and Sidda closed the locker and turned toward her.

"I have a problem with incompetent soldiers." She growled and Ashley took offense to that, she could tell by the body language. "So far you've only proven to me that you cut and run when 'you think' your squad is dead."

"Begging the Commanders pardon but you were not there. You didn't see your squad cut to pieces and slaughtered by the Geth." She snapped and Sidda had to give her props for that, at least she has some backbone and stood up for herself. "I'm here by Andersons' orders not yours so take it up with him, ma'am." She snapped but kept the last bit as respectful as she could given the tone of the conversation.

"Commander?" Kaidan called drawing Sidda's attention from the Marine before her. At least Ashley had a backbone but she had a ways to go if she wanted to impress Sidda. She walked away from her and was paced by Kaidan asking about why they were heading to the Citadel. She was pleased to hear that biotic had been there before as she had never had the pleasure. Not even serving on the _Lante_, it seemed they went everywhere else but there.

While Ashley garnered Sidda's loathing Kaidan had the opposite effect, he was a hell of a soldier from what she had seen so far. He was good with the technical aspects and an extremely powerful biotic, there were no other Human biotics more powerful than the L2s. No one had told her officially but that is what she guessed. He had to be an L2 biotic; if he was he was a lucky one.

"Kaidan," she said pausing before she left for the CIC. "thanks for getting me out of there."

Kaidan nodded with a smile. "Anytime, Commander." He stated and Sidda gave him a nod before turning to leave again. "And…Commander," he began making her stop and turn toward him. "I'm glad it was you down there."

Sidda scoffed. "I lost two people and the beacon, how are you proud of that?" she asked and Kaidan cocked his head.

"You salvaged what you could out of bad situation." He stated and Sidda sighed to the platitude. "I'm proud to have you as my commander."

A smile graced her face and she extended her had to him. "Thank you." She replied as he shook her hand before walking away to the CIC. Her mind still clouded by losing her friend and couldn't shake the notion that his death was her fault. Of all the things that happened, that hit her the most, part of her was disgusted with herself for taking the death of a Turian harder than losing an entire colony. She was willing to sacrifice the Beacon and the colony and let those bombs go off just to get to Saren. Lucky for her Kaidan was there to keep her on track, this wasn't over…not by a long shot, Saren was still out there and she had a round with his name on it.

* * *

_Post Script: Nihlus fans...I do apologize. When I outlined this whole story in its entirety I agonized over this for days. I did not come to it lightly. Mija002 my dear...I do apologize._


	3. Chapter 3: Rogues, Mercs, and Cops

_Authors Note: Okay, thank you to all the favorites and followers. I do hope you are enjoying this. Next few chapter are completely original now that I have collected everyone. Mija002: I'm sorry...I knew going in I was probably going to kill him off but the rest of my Mass Effect stories have him alive and kicking. One of them is even a Shepard/Nihlus romance. :) That one will be posted in time. _

_Once again I apologize to the Nihlus fans...I had to kill him._

_Now, I give you Chapter 3: Rogues, Mercs, and Cops_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Three: Rogues, Mercs, and Cops**

In all the time Sidda spent in the Alliance and growing up on ships she could firmly say she'd never been to the Citadel. The station was an impressive hub of transport, commerce, and culture. She leaned on the railing in Udina's office looking over the view of the Presidium. She'd only said about six words since they'd showed up at the Citadel and looked royally pissed off; the image of Nihlus being shot was burned into her brain along with whatever the Beacon had left behind. She felt different since the Beacon ensnared her. She felt several emotions that she didn't know where they came from, the rage and guilt she attributed to losing her friend but the sick feeling of dread she couldn't place.

Udina had managed to get them an audience with the Council but she got the distinct impression that the Council wasn't going to help them put their most decorated Spectre in the brig even with the proof that she had. He murdered another Spectre right in front of her and she was damn sure going to make him pay for that.

Sidda, Kaidan, and Ashley stepped off the lift and made their way down the corridor that opened up into a giant room. The Citadel tower was impressive, an eye opener at no mistake. Sidda spied two Turians at the end of the corridor having a loud discussion that drew her attention.

"I need more time." One of them stated. Sidda paused seeing the colony markings on his face. The Palaven blue that matched Maridus' she had no illusions though, this wasn't Damar. His skin tone was much lighter and he had cleaner, sharper features, his voice was different, and his eyes were a crisp blue. The fact that he was wearing C-Sec blue was a clue also.

"Let it go, Vakarian, your investigation is over." The one stated, firmly. His markings were powder blue and he had a deep voice.

"Sir, I know Saren is dirty, just give me more time." The other one pleaded. Sidda's attention was peaked to his statement. This officer was looking into Saren, to her he was a potential ally and at the very least she wanted to pick his brain.

"Garrus, I am ordering you to let his go." He stated and walked away leaving the other one obviously frustrated.

When the other Turian departed the one he called Garrus turned to the human audience he had attracted. "You're investigating Saren?" Sidda inquired and Garrus stood up straight looking her up and down.

"You must be Cdr. Shepard." He stated. "Garrus Vakarian, C-sec." he introduced. "That was my boss; Executor Pallin…so to answer your question, Commander, I _was_ investigating Saren."

"Why?" she asked.

Garrus was still figuring her out, everyone had heard of Sidda Shepard, the Hero of Elysium and the accusations made by the Alliance were damning. "Because your government filed the complaint." Garrus replied. "I found small things but not enough to condemn him…I know I'm close to something big though I just need more time."

"Commander, we should find Capt. Anderson." Kaidan stated and Sidda nodded to him. Garrus might just be a treasure trove of information.

"Don't go far. I'd like to talk to you later." She stated and Garrus nodded slightly unsure how to take that. He didn't have much experience with Humans beyond C-Sec business.

* * *

The Council chamber was enormous, it even had trees; Sidda did a 360 taking in the sheer size of the room. She'd never seen anything like the Citadel. "Wow." She stated and as Kaidan and Ashley had to agree with her. Sidda's attention was brought back to the Council, three members of the powers in the galaxy; Turian Councilor Sparatus, Asari Councilor Tevos, and Salarian Councilor Valern. As Anderson, Sidda, and Udina approached Kaidan and Ashley held back off the bridge walkway. Sidda looked from the Council to the giant holographic projection of Saren.

"The Geth attack is a matter of some concern but there is no evidence to support that Saren was involved in anyway." Tevos stated and Sidda came to a stop looking from the Asari then over to Saren.

"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up nothing to support your charge of treason." Sparatus added and Udina scoffed as did Sidda. So far she kept her mouth shut but her glare was focused on Saren.

"We have an eyewitness who saw the whole thing." Udina stated and Sidda was prepared to back that up 100%. "Cdr. Shepard.

"Yes, we've read the Eden Prime report." Valern stated. "The statements from your own people say that you were very far away when you witnessed Nihlus' 'execution'."

"I may be human but my eyesight's sharp as ever." Sidda fired back. "I saw that son of a bitch shoot Nihlus in the back of the head." She snapped and turned her glare back to Saren. "And you know it. Me and my squad chased your ass all the way to the Beacon where you set bombs to destroy it and the whole colony."

"I resent these accusations." Saren stated maintaining his innocence. "Nihlus was a fellow Spectre and a friend."

"That only let you catch him off guard." Anderson chimed in and Saren shifted his look toward him.

"Ahh, Capt. Anderson…you always seem to be around when Humans levy false accusations towards me." Saren stated and Sidda scoffed loudly.

"False accusations…that's rich." Sidda hissed. "I saw you!"

"Cdr. Shepard…Nihlus spoke highly of you, I see he over estimated your talents." Saren stated, his insult obviously designed to infuriate her by insinuating that she wasn't good enough to protect Nihlus.

"How about you get your ass down here and we'll see who's underestimated my talents, you son of a bitch." She snarled back.

"That's enough, Commander, you will conduct yourself in a professional manner or you will be escorted out." Tevos stated sternly and Sidda had to force herself to be quiet.

"Nihlus died because you were not capable of watching his back, the Beacon was destroyed because you are just as incompetent, your people are not ready to join the galactic community…you're not even ready to join the Spectres." Saren stated, his pointed tone did well in pissing off the humans before him.

"He has no right to say that!" Udina barked.

"Cdr. Shepard's candidacy for the Spectres is not the issue here; we are here to ascertain the truth of what happened on Eden Prime." Tevos stated. "The Geth attacked a colony, a Prothean Beacon was destroyed, and a Spectre was killed."

"While the loss of your colony is regrettable, there is no evidence to support that Spectre Arterius had anything to do with this. Our logs indicate he was nowhere near Eden Prime at the time. Spectre Arterius has been cleared of all charges." Sparatus stated and Sidda's temper flared.

"Are you kidding me?" she snapped. "Come on, Sparatus, you read Victus' reports on me for damn near a year…you know I wouldn't lie about something like this!" she roared stepping forward and doing away with the 'professionalism' that Tevos warned her to conduct. "That son of a bitch put a gun to Nihlus' head and pulled the trigger, I saw it with my own eyes! My squad saw him running from us on the platform, what do you think…we're all lying?"

"Commander, stand down." Anderson ordered and she barely had enough sense to heed his command. "What about Shepard's vision, the images that she saw when she contacted the Beacon?"

"Are we allowing dreams into evidence now?" Saren asked his condescending tone was enough to fuel her anger even more.

Sidda was growing more and more aggravated by the second, the Council was a waste of time; Anderson was right when he said they wouldn't believe her. "You can shut up at any point or come down here and see me personally."

Saren had to admit she was a tenacious one. "If there's nothing else…" Saren stated and Sparatus nodded to him as he shut down the comm link and his image disappeared.

Sidda roared a frustrated growl and stormed away from the Council. "Fucking waste of time." She growled.

* * *

"I can't figure out which one of you to blame for how badly that went." Udina stated and Sidda glowered at him. "I should never have brought you in there, Captain, your history with Saren colored the meeting."

Sidda snorted. "And my hatred for that bastard didn't?" she questioned and Udina turned to her.

"As for you…you should be thrown in the brig for the way you conducted yourself in there." Udina stated and Sidda ignored him.

"So what's the next step?" Sidda asked ignoring Udina and directing her question to Anderson.

"What about the C-Sec officer…the Turian, Vakarian?" Kaidan asked and Sidda could see what he was getting at.

"Right." She nodded and looked from Kaidan to Anderson. "What's this history you have with Saren?"

"Its old history, Commander, I'm not getting into it right now." He stated and Sidda narrowed her eyes at him.

"What kind of history?" she asked ignoring the fact that he just said he wasn't getting into it now.

Anderson shot her a glare that told her the thinness of the ice she was skating on. "Not now, Commander, continue your investigation. I'll be in Udina's office, let us know when you have more leads while we run down others."

Sidda still wanted to know more and turned toward Kaidan and Ashley. "Alright, let's go find Vakarian." She stated and left the meeting still fuming that the Council was eating up Saren's bullshit line. She needed to talk to Garrus. She told him to wait and was arguing with the Council for about 15 minutes before they shot her down.

"Where'd he go?" Kaidan asked and Sidda scoffed.

"Typical Turian…" Sidda began. "tell them to wait and they wander off." She stated sounding annoyed. "Alright, Kaidan…you've been here before…you know anyone in C-Sec?"

"One or two." Kaidan replied with a nod.

* * *

It took about 15 minutes for Kaidan to get some information on Vakarian, the person he knew in C-Sec pointed him the shady side of the Citadel. Chora's Den was a slice of sleaze ball heaven in the lower wards. A hot spot for every crime imaginable but they had it on good authority that Garrus was sniffing around Chora's doing exactly what he was told not to, investigating Saren. Sidda was really starting to like this Turian.

They could hear the beat of the music from the alleyway and went through the second doorway to the ramp that led up to the club. As soon as she crossed the threshold she felt the barrel of a pistol pressed against her right temple. She froze, not seeing many ways out of the hole she just stepped in. The fact that she still had a head told her that the person holding the gun didn't want to kill her on the spot, her peripheral vision saw her 'attacker'.

"Commander, I hear you've been looking for me." Garrus stated and lowered his weapon. Sidda let out a breath and nodded, she finally tracked the bastard down after his disappearing act in the tower but she didn't think he'd put a gun to her head for tracking him down.

She cleared her throat and moved out of the doorway to talk to him. "I told you to stay put…you don't listen very well do you." She stated and Garrus chuckled to the bluntness. He already liked her.

"Turians have a hard time standing still." Garrus replied putting his pistol back where it belonged and Sidda chuckled, that she knew. "What can I do for you?"

"I want Saren." She replied bluntly and Garrus nodded.

"Join the club. There's a man named Fist in Chora's Den that has information we both could use." He explained and Sidda nodded sharply. Garrus was a goldmine…having the cop investigating Saren on her side was going to be quite handy.

"Lead the way, Vakarian." She said and Garrus nodded.

"Garrus. Please." He said and Sidda allowed Kaidan and Ashley to walk ahead of her as they followed Garrus. After a few minutes they were passed by a Turian with very dark, nearly black skin, and the white half skull face paint. At first Garrus thought nothing of it but something suddenly felt off then it hit him…he knew who that Turian was and he abruptly spun. "Commander!" he warned as the Turian raised a pistol trying to line up before Sidda moved. Garrus drew his pistol and fired faster than anyone Sidda had ever seen putting a round between his eyes. The cop was good, she gave him that.

Sidda yelped hitting the deck as soon as he warned her. "What the hell was that?" she demanded scrambling back to her feet and looking from Garrus to the now dead Turian.

"I know him, Commander," he stated. "one of Saren's known associates. I came across him during my investigation of Saren. He's an assassin, Commander."

"Assassin?" Ashley questioned. "If you knew that why wasn't he arrested?"

"I know Saren's dirty too but I can't prove it to the Executor…which means they won't do anything." Garrus explained.

"So Saren just tried to assassinate me…swell." Sidda stated with an obvious annoyed tone in her voice.

"Looks like you're getting under his skin, Commander." Ashley said and Sidda scoffed.

"I saw him execute a Spectre in cold blood…I'm a danger to him and he knows that." She replied and spared a lingered looked to Garrus, she was sizing him up more than she did when she met him. He reminded her so much of Maridus that she actually missed that damn sniper. "So who's Fist?"

"Fist runs the crime around this end of the Wards. Really bad guy, been in and out of jail but we were never able to make anything stick. A buddy of mine told me that Fist has ties to the Shadow Broker and that the Broker's agents hired him to do some work for Saren." Garrus explained.

"The Shadow Broker's a myth." Ashley scoffed and Garrus paused shaking his head.

"Oh no…he, she, or it exists but no one has ever seen them." Garrus stated. "There's whole divisions in C-Sec dedicated to the Broker, movements, whereabouts, capers, all of it and they've turned up squat but whoever it is does exist."

"So what did Fist do for the Broker?" Sidda asked.

"I have a friend in the Wards who runs the Clinic; she told me that she patched up a scared Quarian who said she had proof that a Spectre went rouge. No one at the embassy would help her so my friend sent her to Fist to help get her off the Citadel and avoid those trying to kill her." Garrus explained and Sidda didn't like where that was heading.

She nearly laughed to the run around that she was glad Garrus did and not her. "But Fist is working for the Broker." She stated putting it all together and Garrus nodded.

"Well, let's go save a Quarian, shall we." Kaidan stated and Sidda nodded to the man who took the words right out of her mouth.

Garrus gestured for Sidda to walk first. "After you, Commander…or…what it is your people say: ladies first?" he asked and Sidda and Ashley snorted as they looked to each other.

"Such a gentlemen." Sidda stated.

"Men are such chicken shits." Ashley added making Sidda laugh out loud as she lead the way into Chora's Den.

"Are you armed, Commander?" Garrus asked and Sidda paused and looked back to him

"Yeah…" she answered in a drawn out suspicious tone. "Why?"

"Just checking." He replied but realized that his explanation wasn't going to fly with her. "Be on your guard…anything can happen in here."

Sidda sighed at the sight of Chora's Den, typical club. Lots of Asari dancers but that was expected, what she didn't expect was the number of human females dancing. "Well…it's good to see night clubs are pretty much the same where ever you go." She stated and Kaidan raised his eyebrows to the appealing scenery.

"It's got a nice view." He stated and Sidda chuckled.

"Focus, Lieutenant, you can play when we're done." Sidda stated.

"You're too kind, Commander." Kaidan replied with a chuckle.

Sidda also chuckled. "I try." She replied.

Ashley shook her head to Kaidan, she wasn't offended by his statement, how could she be…she'd spent years around men so she knew the way the male mind worked. "Typical man…as soon as they enter an environment like this they start thinking with the small brain."

* * *

Sidda allowed Garrus to take the lead, hell he was a cop and he knew this place as well as the boundaries he could push.

"We need to see Fist." Garrus stated to the obvious guard.

By the body language Sidda could tell that Garrus was familiar with him but it wasn't friendly. "He's busy. Come back with a warrant, Vakarian." He replied rudely and Garrus brushed it off.

"How about now?" Sidda stated and the Guard gave her a disgusting once over look.

"Ain't you a gorgeous little bit." He stated. "You can stay honey."

"Fuck off." Sidda replied coolly.

"Fine…" he stated and retuned his attention to Garrus. "Answers' still no. Now take your hot little bitch and leave before you end up like that other C-Sec officer who stuck her nose where it didn't belong." He threatened and pushed Garrus back lightly with his right hand.

Garrus' temper flared, that C-Sec officer was a friend of his. A young Asari who'd been on the job about 3 years, one of her cases forced her to cross paths with Fist, after serving a warrant and searching one of his haunts she was found beaten and raped. Raped by several men and of several different species. Garrus knew it was Fist and his thugs but couldn't prove a damn thing to Pallin so he walked. Garrus snatched the guards' right arm and slammed him face first into the wall with his right hand bent around his back in a precarious position so if he moved his arm would break. "We're gonna try this again and this time you're gonna do as I say or the last thing to go through that head of yours will be this bullet."

Garrus forced the guard to walk over to the door leading back to Fist's private office. Sidda snatched his access card and swiped it to open the door and the lot of them headed in. Kaidan hit the only guard inside with a neural shock dropping him instantly.

Garrus shoved the guard into Ashley. "Keep an eye on him." He said and zeroed in on Fist.

Fist looked around at the commotion at the other end of the room and recognized the tall Turian. "Vakarian, have you lost your fucking mind? Where's your warrant?" Fist demanded.

"You Fist?" Sidda asked and Fist looked from Garrus to Sidda and looked her up and down.

"Who the fuck are you?" he spat back.

Garrus was more than happy to answer Sidda's question. "Yeah, that's him."

Sidda looked Fist up and down sizing him up, he looked like a tough guy; strong jaw, relatively young, well-muscled, and had a flat top. The way he carried himself screamed that he was thug and she really didn't like him. "My name's Shepard, Alliance Navy…we need to talk, Fist." She stated and Fist scoffed.

"I don't have to tell you shit, Navy." Fist hissed but was smart enough to stay out of reach.

"You do with me." Garrus growled firmly.

Sidda was finding Garrus easy to team with, kind of like working with Maridus or Ruvvak. "What do you know about Saren?" she asked before he had a chance to defy Garrus and stepped closer to him.

"I don't know shit, Bitch, now get the fuck out of here." He snapped in her face and moved to shove her back. That was all Sidda needed to give Fist a wakeup call. She grabbed his right arm and wrenched it around before driving her right knee into his abdomen as hard as she could. Fist coughed to the hit and held his abdomen with the other hand as Sidda let him go. "You can't do this." He grimaced.

"I'm not C-Sec, so you can be reasonably sure that I don't give a damn and as for him…" she said gesturing to Garrus. "I don't think he likes you very much so don't bet on any help from him."

"We know the Broker hired you to do a job for Saren so spill it." Garrus stated.

"I'm not telling you anything, so get the fuck out of here." Fist replied and his defiance was pissing her off more and more.

Sidda took a step toward him and got into his face. "Listen to me, you son of a bitch, Saren destroyed a human colony and shot my friend in the back of the head, you don't tell me what I want to know there are going to be pieces of you all over the Citadel, now talk!" Sidda barked in his face. "Where's the Quarian?"

"What did the Broker hire you to do?" Garrus asked.

Fist grumbled looking over the room, Ashley had the outside guard at gunpoint and Kaidan was standing guard on over the one he nailed on the way in, he needed to pay more for his guards. "Someone wants the little Quarian dead; she's got damning information on someone the Broker likes more than the rest of us."

"The Quarian came here, what'd you do with her?" Garrus asked and Fist glared at him.

"Fuck you." Fist answered.

That was the wrong answer and Sidda drew her gun. "Tell me or I'm gonna give you a new hole to breath out of." Sidda ordered emphasizing her order with hit from her pistol.

"You wouldn't." Fist defied and Sidda hit him again.

"Try me. Talk!" she barked again and Garrus looked over at her for a moment. Nothing like learning about someone on the fly, this was the best way to get to know someone; during an interrogation.

Fist had the feeling that this officer wasn't fucking around. She just might kill him. "Alright, alright…I set her up to meet with the Broker."

Garrus narrowed his eyes, that didn't make any sense. "The Broker? No one deals with the Broker…only his agents."

Fist scoffed, and looked at her with a smile. "Yeah, but she doesn't know that." Fist replied and Sidda punched him again for good measure and to wipe that smile off his face.

"Where?" she ordered her tone raised and firm.

Fist spit blood out of his mouth and glared at the brunette who wasn't afraid to kick his ass. "Why should I tell you?"

Sidda was tired of playing games with this bastard. She had two reasons to hate him, working for the Broker and by extension Saren and for the attack on the C-Sec officer Garrus mentioned. "Because if you don't I'm gonna start blowing pieces off of you until you do." Fist called her bluff and Sidda pressed her pistol into his palm and pulled the trigger. "Next is an appendage…how many do you want to lose?"

Fist screamed, loudly. "You fucking bitch!" he shouted and Kaidan was pretty sure that everyone in the Club heard that…they were now on a clock. Sidda grabbed his bloody hand and pressed the barrel to his thumb and he decided not to call her bluff again. "Alright, alright, I sent her to the maintenance ally next door…but odds are you're too late."

"I know it." Garrus replied.

Sidda hit him hard in the face with her pistol knocking him to the floor and turned to Garrus. "Get C-Sec on him. Kaidan, neural shock him so he doesn't go anywhere." She ordered. "You're not gonna go anywhere are ya, Fist? Because if you do I'm gonna pull you apart a piece at a time." she stated to him and Kaidan did as ordered and the last thing Fist saw was Sidda.

"Now it's time to go save the Quarian." Kaidan stated as Sidda hit the other guard hard enough to knock him out.

"Let's go." She said as Garrus called in C-Sec for back up. There was no way C-Sec would arrive in time to get to the Quarian before time ran out. "Where's this place at, Garrus?" she asked as the four of them headed back out in the Club.

"Look out." Kaidan warned quickly as he snatched Sidda away from the doorway. The keen Sentinel yanked her back just as a barrage of gunfire peppered the threshold.

"I think our secrets out." Sidda stated and looked down at the arm encircling her waist. It had been a long time since she'd been in the arms of a human man. She'd be lying if she said he wasn't attractive, he was and he was just her type but her heart belonged to Adrien. "Had enough there, Lieutenant?" she asked her tone friendly and light but she could feel his puzzled expression through the back of her head.

"Huh?" she heard from him and giggled when figured it out. "Oh…sorry, Commander." He said and released her.

"That's alright, what girl doesn't want to be saved by a handsome, strapping, young man?" she teased and Kaidan's face turned about 10 different shades of red as he blushed from head to toe.

"Could we get back to the firefight, please?" Garrus asked.

"Of course." Sidda replied and saw the club patrons cowering on the floor and under tables as Fist's men laid siege. "Check fire; civilians."

"Commander, we don't have time for this." Garrus stated and Sidda agreed with that whole heartedly.

She scoffed and flattened two thugs with a well-placed throw that knocked one into the other. "Yeah, no kidding, why don't you ask nicely…maybe they'll stop."

"Why don't you and Williams ask nicely, you're prettier than we are." Kaidan chimed in and Sidda snorted.

"No more playing…I am not losing this lead." She replied and tossed out a singularity that created an explosion after Kaidan dropped a warp on it, that was big enough to flatten three bad guys.

* * *

Shooting their way out of Chora's became a little easier with the arrival of C-Sec, ordinarily Sidda would have stopped and thanked the responding officers but she really didn't have time for that. According to Fist they didn't have much time to track down the Quarian and stop Saren's men from killing her and she wasn't about to lose this lead because of an asshole like Fist.

The four of them pushed their way past panicked bar patrons now heading for the exits since the shooting stopped. "Nice timing, guys." Garrus praised as they finally got to the door.

"Garrus, clocks ticking…lead the way." She barked as she and her team bolted from the Club. Sidda jogged behind Garrus as he wove them through a few corridors before entering the maintenance ally that Fist told him about.

With their side arms drawn they hugged the walls as the vibe of the area shifted to uneasy. "Contact." Ashley whispered with Kaidan behind her on the right wall. She was the first to lay eyes on the scene as Sidda and Garrus' view was obstructed. "One Salarian, two Turians, and the Quarian." A moment after those words left her mouth a loud explosion went off causing the Salarian to be blasted into the wall.

Garrus and Sidda both cursed at the same time as they advanced on the mess ahead of them. Another grenade went off as Kaidan put a shot through the head of the Turian that got blasted off his feet by the first grenade. The other Turian spun to the shot behind him and went to fire on Sidda and Garrus. Ashley and Kaidan heard two shots ring out at the same time and saw both Sidda and Garrus put a round through the Turian's head.

Sidda looked up at Garrus who never took his eyes off the target; she really liked him and wanted him on her team. If she was going to track Saren she wanted him there also. "Williams?" she questioned managing to take her eyes of the cool Turian.

"Clear, Commander." The Chief replied as the Salarian caught in the blast died of his injuries.

Sidda eyed the Quarian and kicked the body of the Turian that had been leading the assault. "Garrus, same colony markings as the one you shot earlier." She stated and Garrus looked down at him.

Garrus looked down at him and nodded. "Another one of Saren's assassins." Garrus stated and Sidda narrowed her eyes to him and looked up at him.

"What the fuck did Saren do, buy them in bulk?" she asked and holstered her pistol. "How many more does he have?"

"Depends on how much of a pain in the ass you are to him." Garrus replied and Sidda snorted.

"These two are extremely dead, Commander." Ashley stated as she and Kaidan checked the other Turian and Salarian merc.

"What's your name?" Sidda asked the Quarian who looked a little confused by what just happened. By what Sidda had observed the girl was pretty good with tech. The grenade she set off kicked off the fight and showed that she could take care of herself.

"Tali." She replied quickly.

"Are you okay?" Garrus asked and she nodded to the very tall Turian that towered over her.

She nodded and asked the obvious question. "What is going on?"

"These men were assassins sent by Saren." Sidda stated as she searched the body of the one she shot. "My name is Shepard and this is Garrus, Williams, and Alenko…we're investigating Saren."

Tali was even more confused. "But I-…" she began then stopped herself, as far as she knew she was meeting with people that could protect her and get her out of this mess. "I thought-…"

"We have a lot to talk about, Tali." Sidda stated. "But you're safe with us."

* * *

Sidda nearly smirked as Tali played the recording for the record to the Council; Udina had already sent the Council a copy of the recording to let them satisfy their own authentication. Just being able to stand there and do the classic neener neener to their face was totally worth it.

The Council shifted uncomfortably as they had been proven very wrong. Sparatus sighed and looked down before placing his hands behind his back and looking directly at Sidda. "My apologies, Commander, you were right." He said and Sidda raised her eyebrows, Sparatus seemed to have a magic power that sucked the sense of victory right out of triumph. The larger implications about this were extremely heavy. This was a highly trained Spectre that had gone rogue. "Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status and all resources revoked."

"The other voice on…the woman…its Matriarch Benezia, one of our most influential leaders." Tevos said and Sidda looked from her to Sparatus and then back again.

"Looks like she found a new game." Sidda stated and earned a glare from Tevos. She could hear the tongue lashing coming but she never said anything, maybe the fact that they had a Spectre out there killing their own and now a rogue matriarch quelled the high and mighty attitude.

"So how do we find Saren?" Garrus asked and Sparatus shifted in place.

"Saren is a Spectre, Officer Vakarian, he's highly trained and experienced…if he's gone under you won't find him." He stated and Sidda raise her eyebrows.

"Then turn me loose on him." Sidda suggested. "I'll track him, figure out what he's doing, and drag his ass back here kicking and screaming to answer for what he's done."

Sparatus believed her, after reading the reports from Victus; someone he knew personally and respected, he knew that she was the one person who could probably track down the best Spectre in the galaxy. Victus' description came to mind…tenacious and the best soldier he'd ever seen. He looked to Tevos and caught the look from Valern as well then nodded slightly to them both. Tevos looked away from him and tapped a few keys on the console in front of her.

"Cdr. Shepard, step forward." Sparatus stated and Sidda blinked as she realized what was about to happen. "_Holy crap…I'm being inducted as a Spectre._" She thought and did what he asked stepping toward the end of the walkway. She could hear everything that the Council was saying but it didn't sink in, those in the Council chamber on its many levels stepped closer to witness history being made. Races waited decades and sometimes centuries for even a seat on the Council and even longer for a spot in the Spectres. Spectres were even more selective than the Council was about their members, to have a human, a race that's only been in the galactic community for 30 years, be accepted in to their ranks was a huge deal. Garrus looked at Tali, he didn't know if Tali knew how big of deal this was but he certainly knew.

"This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species, Commander." Tevos said and Sidda blinked out of her little trance. She didn't know what to say, somehow saying 'thank you' wasn't it, Nihlus was the one that gave her this and it was a pity that he wasn't here to see it. Without him she would never have gotten this opportunity…the only thing she could do for him was avenge him and that was something she planned on doing. When she told Sparatus she'd bring Saren back kicking and screaming she lied, she was going to return that Turian bastard with his head in a box.

For her the rest of the meeting was a little bit of a blur, she heard that Tevos had a lead on Benezia, the high and mighty Asari that was apparently on Saren's side, she apparently had a daughter that was a Prothean expert and might be able to tell her about the Beacon that nearly fried her brain.

* * *

Garrus broke into a jog to catch up with Sidda; he liked her, a lot, how she handled Fist was a dream come true. He was so tired of the Citadel's bureaucracy and was refreshed to see someone who set the rule book on fire. "Commander." He called and she paused in mid stride as she made her way to the Weapons requisitions officer.

"Garrus." She greeted. "Glad you found me; I wanted to thank you for your help." She stated and Garrus nodded.

"My pleasure, Commander." He replied and Sidda revisited the idea of keeping him around.

"Hey, why don't you come with me?" she asked and Garrus stopping making her stop as well.

His expression said it all. "Are you serious, Commander?"

"Call me Sidda." She stated looking up at him with a smile, if she was flirting she wasn't intending to but given her attraction to Turian males now she couldn't help herself. "And yeah…you're a hell of a shot, quick on your feet, and I kinda miss having a Turian around. Wanna come hunt a rogue Spectre with me?"

Garrus thought about it for a moment, there was no way he was saying no to that, a change to get away from C-Sec red tape and actually do some good for a change. "If you operate the same way that I saw today…the answer's absolutely."

Sidda smiled to him and his approval of her methods although she had to admit, she was a little more brutal that she usual was. "Welcome aboard, Garrus." She stated and kept walking and he waited a moment before jogging to follow her. He followed her into the Spectre requisitions weapons locker and eyed some of the toys that C-Sec could only dream of using. Top of the line rifles and a Spectre sniper rifle he'd kill to use just once. He could hear Sidda being granted access to the Spectre stock and Sidda saw him eyeing the sniper rifle. "Hey, you know what the benefit about coming with me is, Garrus?" she asked smiling to herself and Garrus continued to look but not touch.

"What's that?" he asked and Sidda's smile broadened.

"Spectre clearance gives me access to anything we see…and special order from Councilor Sparatus gives me a weapons shipment of whatever I want." She stated and Garrus blinked not really sure what she was driving at until she walked over and pulled the rifle off the rack and handing it to him. "Thanks for saving my life, Garrus." She stated and his face was visibly shocked.

"Thank you, Comm-…Sidda." He stated sincerely. He'd never had someone just give him a weapon that cost more than he made in a year even with the maximum overtime that C-Sec would allow. Her smile was nice but to be completely honest he didn't know what to do with her. He wasn't overly experienced in dealing with humans.

"You're welcome…now…we're tracking a former Spectre so let's arm up so we have a few gifts for him." She said and Garrus set the rifle down as he helped Sidda rummage through the extensive ordinance that they now had access to. Being given free rein to grab whatever he wanted was a dream come true.

After sending Garrus and the weapons shipment to the _Normandy_, Sidda head down in the C-Sec lobby to get to the lift. She had wasted enough time letting Saren get an immense head start now it was time to track his ass down and put a bullet in his head.

"You Shepard?" a deep voice asked as the owner, an enormous Krogan, stepped in her path.

Sidda blinked unsure if she wanted to identify herself to 6 foot, 800lbs, Krogan. "Damn." She stated looking him up and down. "I thought Turians were fucking huge."

The Krogan mused. "I'm bigger than a Turian in every way, Little Girl." He replied and Sidda chuckled. "Now, are you Shepard?"

"Who wants to know?" she asked.

"Name's Wrex, I hear you're responsible for turning Fist over to C-Sec. You cost me a lot of money." He said and Sidda eyed him as he eyed her. This little human was ready for anything and Wrex applauded her for that.

"Bounty Hunter or Hit Man?" she asked.

"Depends on the pay." He replied and Sidda chuckled to that answer.

"He had information I needed and C-Sec needed him to answer for some stuff." She replied.

"You cost me a lot of money, Little Girl." He repeated and Sidda sighed, she didn't know many Krogan and hoped to hell he wasn't stupid enough to start something surrounded by C-Sec.

"I tell you what…I could use a bounty hunter, you come work for me and you can have anything we come across that you deem valuable and if Fist gets away from C-Sec I'll pay you double if you get to him before I do…triple if you get to him before Garrus does." The Krogan seemed surprised by her offer and looked as if he was thinking it over and looked down at her extended hand. "Deal?" she asked and Wrex nodded engulfing Sidda's tiny hand in his giant hand.

"Deal." He replied.

Sidda nodded. "Bay 14, _SSV Normandy_, we leave in an hour."

* * *

Since arriving on the Citadel, Sidda had acquired Spectre credentials and three new recruits to track Saren, a Quarian, a Krogan, and a Turian. Having a Turian and a Krogan together in a box flying through space was suicidal in the eyes of any other sane person out there. She didn't care about their bad blood, they were there to do a job and if they had personal issues she'd throw them off…docking port was optional. As she made her way to the docking bay she was met by Anderson who eyed the giant Krogan that passed him and then looked to Sidda who waved him off. "That's my bodyguard." She replied and Anderson confirmed that her sense of humor was intact; he wasn't sure about the rest of her though. He saw what she was like when she woke up and how she more pissed off about what happened to Nihlus then what happened to the colony. "I'm keeping the Quarian and the Turian too." She stated and Anderson narrowed his eyes further.

"Sounds like quite the recipe for disaster, Shepard…pity I'm gonna miss it." He stated and Sidda's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" she asked and Anderson sighed.

"I'm giving you command of the _Normandy_." He stated and the confusion on her face was evident. "You're a Spectre now, Sidda, you need a ship that you command… you can't answer to me."

"I'm not taking your ship, Anderson." She replied and Anderson shook his head.

"This not up for discussion, you go find Saren and make him pay for what he's done." He stated and his tone ended her protest. Sidda didn't know what to make of the fact that she was now not only a Spectre but a Spectre with her very own prototype war machine that left every other ship in the galaxy in the dust. The _Normandy_ hummed to life next to them indicating that the departure time was nearing. "Good hunting, Commander." He finished extending his hand to her.

She shook his hand and felt that there was no way she was talking him out of it. "One thing before you go, what happened between you and Saren?"

"A while back I was considered for the Spectres. It was about 20 years ago and I was evaluated by Saren. Long story short he caused an unnecessary explosion that killed hundreds of Batarians and then blamed me for giving away our mission. He roasted me in front of the Council and destroyed any chance I had of becoming a Spectre. He hates humans, his brother was killed in the First Contact War and he blames all humans for the galaxies problems." Anderson explained and Sidda heard another loud whir from the _Normandy_ that gave Sidda her cue to load up. "Saren's dangerous, Sidda, watch your ass."

Sidda nodded and sighed looking him up and down. "I will." She said. "And I'll try and keep the _Normandy_ out of trouble…I know she's brand new."

They crew parted ways as she walked through the ship; Joker piloted the ship out away from the Citadel. The Alliance crew and her non alliance crew, it was going to be interesting trying to get all of them to work together. Just getting a Krogan and a Turian to work together was going to be a feat but her mission was simple. She was going to hunt down Saren and bring him in or more than likely kill him. The images from the Beacon disturbed her and seeing Nihlus be killed was another thing that was going to haunt her until the day she died. She could only imagine what Deliah was feeling right now.


	4. Chapter 4: Pinnacle Station

_Authors Note: Sorry about how long this took to get out. I had a minor case of writers block but thanks to Ipander and Pint-sizes She-Bear I was able to work past it. Ipander: thank you very much for the encouragement, it really does mean a lot. _

_ Thank you for all the follows and favorites, and as always please comment, review, critique, they are all welcome. _

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Four: Pinnacle Station**

The mission to Therum certainly offered some new experiences; it was the 'courting period' as Sidda called it, the first mission with her new recruits that involved a military mission with all the trimmings not firefights in clubs and alleys. The purpose of this mission was to find Liara T'Soni, Benezia's daughter and a serious person of interest. Seemed easy enough, after all how hard could it be to land on an uninhabited planet and find an archaeologist? She thought that just before dropping in the Mako and regretted it 20 minutes later. In order to get to know the new recruits she took Garrus and Tali with her. She took Garrus for two reasons, one she needed to get to know him and two she liked having a Turian on her team; since her tour on the _Lante_ her squad just didn't seem complete without a six foot plus predator on it.

The Mako was another new experience…or rather major challenge. Leaving out Sidda's unmet need for speed because of the shitty handling of the Mako the fact of the matter was taking the Mako was better than walking. For a planet that was supposed to be uninhabited the place was swarming with Geth, enough that the mechanical bastards had set up turrets around every damn corner. For the most part the mission was okay, the Mako flattened the smaller Geth that got in the way and the main gun handled the Colossus well.

Tali turned out to be tougher than she looked, the little Quarian preferred shotguns and wasn't afraid to get down and dirty in a fight. When they were forced out of the Mako because of terrain she saw just how good Garrus was with his brand new sniper rifle. He expertly picked off the Geth that were taking pot shots at them as Sidda appreciated how lucky she was to have Tali on the team. Her hacking skills did well in turning a few Geth to their side. After taking out an entire army of Geth the dig site wasn't very active, at least on the way in. There was no way in hell that was going to last long and all three of them knew that. They found their target, an Asari scientist unfortunately trapped in a Prothean protective barrier. Apparently, she was trying to protect herself from the Geth and a Krogan Battlemaster and something backfired trapping her in the barrier as well. Sidda had to laugh at that but the hardest part was figuring out how to get her out of it. Once again Tali's skills came in handy as did her ingenuity; she used a mining laser to gain access to the ruin below Liara, she got an A+ for that.

Springing Liara from the trap was fairly simple, getting the hell off Therum was nearly impossible apparently. Just as they were about to exit stage left the afore-mentioned Krogan Battlemaster arrived to make the getaway a little tougher. Sidda cursed loudly and multiple times as the fire ensued between them, the Krogan, and the Geth. Of course she would be fighting a Krogan…where was her Krogan, on the damn _Normandy_. As the fight kicked off there was a momentary pause in the fight as the ground shook below them and Joker informed them that the blast from the mining laser set off a seismic event…of course. Sidda thought fighting a pissed off Turian who didn't like her very much was hard…a Krogan outclassed her in every way. After being slammed into the wall a third time by a charging Krogan she could hear the breast plate of her armor crack. That was not good. This was another brand new experience and one she really could have lived without but thanks to Garrus it was one she was able to stagger away from. After that, Therum started to crumble beneath them so they had to run to the top of the Prothean ruin where the _Normandy _could scoop them up on the fly. The mission was a success if not perfect.

* * *

According to Dr. Chakwas, the Krogan managed to crack not only her armor but two ribs as well. The debriefing with Liara proved a little fruitful but it did put Sidda's mind through the spin cycle again. She was a Prothean expert but had never heard of the Reapers and discounted Sidda's theory about what wiped out the Protheans until she 'Embraced Eternity' with Sidda's mind and saw what the Beacon had left behind when it crashed through her brain. In all, Sidda didn't think too much of Liara, she was a scientist; young and naive. The fact she was Benezia's daughter was a cause for some concern but it was better to have her near where she could be contained.

Hours after Therum, Sidda had talked to everyone…now she just wanted to take the pain killer that Chakwas gave her and go to bed.

_Sidda stood on the hilltop looking down at the Eden Prime Spaceport; she could see Nihlus with standing with his back to Saren, the gun aimed squarely at the back of his head. It was like an out of body experience for her; she could see all of this unfolding the same way and remembered feeling that this was something she never wanted to experience again. With the emotion of knowing what was about to happen, the sky darkened and the Reaper ship descended on the planet triggering the flashes of horrible images from the Beacon. She looked down from the ship that appeared to be landing right behind Saren and saw him pull the trigger, that blue mist of blood that sprayed from the exit wound and she screamed._

Sidda sat upright sharply with a yell of 'no' like she did on Eden Prime. Once again she couldn't figure out why she was more affected by this than she even she thought. Nihlus was a friend and she was going to kill Saren in the most painful way possible but she'd never had nightmares about stuff like this. Liara's ability seemed to have churned up the beacons download and she figured it tied into her feelings about losing Nihlus. The frustrating thing is that she couldn't figure out what feelings for whom she was feeling. "Shit." She cursed quietly and shook her head. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her elbows on them hissing in pain from the cracked ribs. Frustrated, upset, and now in pain her temper flared and she slapped the clock off the nightstand.

* * *

The frustration and unsettling images prevented her from sleeping and since they were destined for Pinnacle Station anyway she got up and headed down to the cargo bay. In the wee hours of the morning the only crew on duty was nightshift. She wasn't sure why she went down there, subconsciously she thought of Nihlus and the gear that was still in the locker. She didn't turn it over to the Council with his body though it was a mystery even to her as to why.

She stepped off the slowest freight elevator in the entire galaxy and found the Cargo Bay still and quiet with the exception of the armory bench. The light was on over the bench and Garrus was busy working on his sniper rifle. The weapon was fantastic on Therum, or it was fantastic in his hands…she didn't know which. Sidda thought of Cerrus in his roost modifying every weapon he could get his hands on.

"Commander." Garrus greeted without looking up from his rifle. "Can't sleep?"

She eyed the locker that contained Nihlus' stuff and walked past it. "No…" she answered and Garrus could hear the trouble in her voice. "What about you?"

Garrus chuckled and gestured to the black rifle he was working on. "You gave me a new toy to play with, Commander."

Her halfhearted smile in response to that caused him some concern. "Something on your mind?" he inquired looking over at her judging her demeanor. He slipped into Cop mode, the skill he'd honed after years in C-Sec made him able to see right through people. Something was bothering her and by what he had heard about Eden Prime he guess it had to do with the friend she lost and the images from the Beacon.

She sighed and leaned on the wall between the lockers and bench watching him work. "Yeah, too much." She replied. "I just can't get the image of…" she began but stopped abruptly deciding that she didn't want to talk about it. When she stopped mid-sentence Garrus casually looked up at her but said nothing. Sidda quickly changed the subject with a sigh and looked him up and down. "So tell me about Garrus Vakarian." She said and Garrus eyed her quickly before returning his attention to the sniper rifle.

If she didn't want to talk about what was bothering her pushing her wasn't going to help. He didn't know her well enough to know how she'd react so he left it alone. "What do you want to know?" he asked quietly sighting tightly down the rifle to test the sights.

She couldn't help but look Garrus up and down, he reminded her of Kalvaris in his mannerisms and build but the markings were the same as Maridus'. "How long have you been in C-Sec?"

"Five years." He replied setting the rifle down on the bench so he could continue tinkering with it.

"And before that?" she inquired while watching him pull the scope apart. She guessed Turian military as a sniper. He was as meticulous with his rifle as Maridus and Ruvvak were.

"Military for the mandatory 15 years." He replied proudly looking down at her then back to the rifle.

"I'm guessing a sniper?"

Garrus chuckled and nodded. "What gave it away?" he asked making her chuckle also. "I did some time with Black Ops before I got out. Decided to follow my father and joined C-Sec."

"Your father was C-Sec?"

Garrus nodded and quietly replied. "One of the best."

She smiled. "He must be proud of you."

He paused a moment from what he was doing when she said that. "Sort of." He stated and returned to what he was doing. She narrowed her eyes a little and could see that the topic had now reached the limit.

"You know, I served with a Turian with the same colony markings." She said and he looked at her, trying to figure her out. "He was the first officer on the ship I served on last year."

"Really? What was his name?" Garrus asked.

"Damar Maridus." She said and he laughed out loud.

He stopped what he was doing and laughed. "Ahh…Damar…I do know him. I've spent the better part of my life with that man in my shadow." Garrus said. "We grew up together, went through boot camp, had our first few assignments in the same place but then he went to Special Ops and I went to C-Sec."

It dawned on Sidda as to who Garrus was and she chuckled. "You're Solana's brother."

Garrus cocked his head with a nod and he too figured out who she was. "If you're the human who served on the _Lante_ then you must be the human with the strong grip." He said and she could guess which event he was talking about. She chuckled nodding slightly. "Something about sliding down a platform to catch him."

"I dislocated both my shoulders catching him." She stated and Garrus chuckled.

"He never could keep his feet." He chuckled.

His tone made her chuckle, she liked Garrus he was a lot like Maridus. "He was the first one to take me in on that ship. First friend I made." She said and Garrus figured her out.

He'd had a suspicion about her but now she confirmed it. "He grew up a rich boy…never knew any better." He sniped gauging that she would be receptive to a good joke. Indeed she was a laughed at his joke. "If you're the human who served on the _Lante, _that means you are Gen. Victus' mate."

She narrowed her eyes some, there had been a few rumors she was sure of that especially after Octavia's visit. Her relationship with Victus was no secret now and while some didn't care the general opinion of it was less than favorable. "Not his mate."

Garrus snorted. "Close enough…we Turians aren't as complicated as you humans are when it comes to relationships." He stated, being in C-Sec he'd seen all the courting rituals that there were. Humans were complicated creatures but not as complicated as Salarians who actually entered in contracts for breeding.

"I'm assuming you have an opinion on it like everyone else does." She said and Garrus stood up straight from his hunched position over the bench.

He shook his head with a shrug and sorted through the components he needed to modify the scope. "No opinion. It's no business of mine." He said and moved closer to the bench watching what he was doing. "Hold that please." He said and she held the rifle where he asked.

"Most people find the match…oh how do they put it…unnatural." She said and Garrus grunted.

He clicked the scope modification into place. "Most people are idiots." He replied and she chuckled again. "Anyway, why do you care what they think? The relationship is between you and him not you and them."

Sidda looked up at the tall Cop and cracked a half smile. "Wow...cop and councilor." She replied and Garrus indicated that she could let the rifle go.

"No…just call it like I see it." He stated and pulled the rifle tight into his arm and sighted down the scope to check his handiwork. "Perfect." He praised and offered it to Sidda. "You any good with a sniper rifle, Shepard?"

Sidda took the rifle and mimicked his stance. "I think I've held one once." She replied and pulled it in, tight sighting down the scope. Garrus chuckled to the comment and observed her. He'd met plenty of humans but none like her.

* * *

Going to Pinnacle Station was not her idea; she argued with the Council but lost to Sparatus. He may have been a pain in the ass to her but for some reason they were on the same page most of the time. He was right in this case, as a new Spectre she needed to train like one and learn Saren's moves to have a shot at catching him. On the other hand she preferred to keep him off center by going at him full bore but Sparatus forced their newest Spectre to buck up and follow a suggestion for once.

To the Turians Pinnacle Station began as secret base during the Krogan Rebellions, after the war when the Turians soared in status it became a training camp run by them to train Spectres. When they were inducted into the Spectres the base grew in popularity and became jointly run. All Spectres now train at the facility but virtually every species has access to it. If they're not training as a Spectre they are training as part of council approved Special Forces training. With the addition of Humans in the galactic community they were added to those allowed on Pinnacle Station. Begrudgingly, the Turians allowed their Relay 314 Incident dance partners into the mix but it wasn't seamless. As much as the Turians didn't want to admit it, Humans were not as weak as they thought. The Alliance fought them to a standstill, their adaptability made them excellent in combat, even the Turians knew that. So when the Council appointed Adm. Tadius Ahern as the Commanding Officer the Turians understood why, they didn't have to agree but they understood why an exemplarity officer like Ahern was given the position.

Sidda had decided that if she was forced to be there she was going to squeeze every last bit of usefulness out of the station while she was at it. She may be the only Spectre but she was chasing a Spectre, the best Spectre, so her crew was going to need the training as well.

She looked to the tall guard by the interior door and did a quick up and down of him. He was average height for a Turian coming in at around 6'6" and had purple maxillary teeth skull markings that she'd never seen before. "I'm here to see Adm. Ahern, Captain." She stated and the Guard Captain gave the best possible sneer that rivaled any that she had seen from Cerrus.

"He's inside…up the stairs, Commander." He stated as he did the same and looked her up and down. His tone was enough to make Sidda cock her head and keep her attention on him.

"Got an issue, Captain?" she asked directly and the Captain looked down at her.

"Humans don't deserve Spectre rank." He replied spitefully as the other guard opened the door.

Sidda opened her mouth to respond to the carbon copy of Cerrus but she was cut off. "Shepard! Get your ass up here!" a man yelled in the pissy commanding officer tone. Sidda eyed the Captain, he was going to be a problem and she could see that but she moved away from him and headed up the stairs to Ahern. He was an Alliance legend, saw action in the First Contact War and performed one of the best data module recoveries in the Alliance. His work was taught at the Academy, there was no one better in the Alliance at defending a position and she remembered that training on Elysium.

"Admiral," she greeted giving him a salute. "it's an honor, Sir."

Ahern returned the salute and nodded as he looked her up and down. "You're not as I pictured." He stated. "Somehow I thought you'd be bigger."

Sidda snorted to him. "I don't mean to be rude; Sir, but I have a bit of a time crunch. There's a rogue Spectre out there that needs a bullet in the ass." She stated.

Ahern allowed a snort. "We'll fast track you through the training then."

"I want my people to go through too." She stated and Ahern narrowed her eyes. "That's not procedure, Commander."

"If I'm going to chase the best Spectre in the galaxy I want them to have the same training too." She stated and Ahern thought a moment.

"Alright…given your mission I'll let you have it, Commander." He stated.

* * *

Pinnacle Station had tech that was beyond top of the line, the thing that surprised Sidda the most was the presence of a Krogan merc brought on by Ahern to spice up the training and add a huge level of difficulty. Along with the Salarians and Asari instructors and trainees there was one lone human but the station was pretty much dominated by Turians. Of course, they had the strongest and largest military presence in the galaxy rivaled only by the Asari.

When the _Normandy_ arrived Sidda's team took over the place. Training not only the newest Spectre to the galaxy but her entire ground team as well was a huge task. Tactical and physical training like this was old hat for nearly everyone but Tali and Liara. Tali was more comfortable with combat than Liara was and that was a problem that needed to be addressed. Sidda broke up her teams placing the weaker members with the very strong ones. Tali seemed to work very well under the guide of Wrex and Ashley and Sidda took on Liara with the help of Kaidan and Garrus. The two had improved by leaps and bounds after the first few rounds of training. The benefit to drilling her and her people into the ground was that she actually forgot about Saren, the Beacon, and Nihlus as she and her team took a break while watching Tali and her tutors' race through the timed Capture the Flag segment. She took a swig of the water that Garrus had given her and laughed out as the three 'misfits' kicked the VI's ass and broke the timed event record.

"How 'bout that huh?" Garrus chuckled from his perched seat on the stair case a few steps above the one she was sitting on.

"Wrex is a pretty good teacher underneath that grouchy Krogan exterior." She stated and Garrus had to agree with that. Garrus and Wrex said very little to each other most of the time but they seemed to be warming up to one another the more that time ran on. Ashley, on the other hand, didn't like either one of them or Liara but she didn't seem to mind Tali to a point. She didn't like her looking over the _Normandy_'_s_ systems but Tali reminded her of one of her sisters.

"So are you." Garrus replied and Sidda snorted and craned around to look up at him.

"Are you calling me a Krogan, Vakarian?" she asked her tone mired in a slight chuckle.

"Well, you have the temper of one." He stated and Sidda couldn't help but shake her head with a smile. That was the same thing Holum told her only his exact words were 'personality of Krogan' after her threatening to punch him to show that her shoulders were healed enough to return to work.

"Where have I heard that before?" She muttered. "Alright...we're up, let's go." She stated and Garrus stayed seated.

"Shepard, why don't you give everyone a break." He stated. "We've been at it for hours."

Sidda's precarious patience was wearing extremely thin; she didn't want to be there anyway. The constant training was helping to channel the anger elsewhere and she wanted to get it done as soon as possible. "I want to get this done and get the hell out of here." She stated and Garrus noticed the patience disappearing.

"I know you want to find Saren but you can't drill them into the ground. Give them a break, give yourself a break." He stated and she huffed, she was itching to get out of here. She already knew she could do the job the training wasn't for her.

* * *

Sidda yielded to Garrus' advice and let her crew have a break. Right now she was single minded and wanted Saren dead and Nihlus avenged. She listened to the crew bond to a certain extent as she paced back and forth with a bottle of water.

"Whoever's records that you and the Command broke is gonna be pissed." Ashley stated to Tali. Shepard blasted through all the courses like a torpedo but Tali was the surprise. The little Quarian tore through the courses extremely well and surprised the hell out of everyone by breaking a few of the course records with room to spare.

"They were mine." Vidinos stated joining them; his body language reminded her of Cerrus and not in a good way. Sidda continued to pace back and forth eyeing Vidinos but saying nothing. Vidinos had been bad mouthing them since they stepped in the door. The only one he didn't seem to have an issue with was Garrus but Garrus mostly ignored him. "A Quarian and a Human…neither of your despicable species should be allowed here."

Sidda had learned to ignore the superior Turians after spending so much time with Cerrus, the king of all Turian assholes, but she figured that Ashley wasn't as patient. Ashley's history with Turians was worse than Sidda's history with Batarians. Sidda downed the last gulp of the water from the bottle and continued to pace and listen. Magnus Vidinos was the stations top gun and trainer though his opinions of anyone other than Turians, Asari, and Salarians were a bit low.

"Well, sorry about your luck, man, we're here to stay." Ashley stated and glared up at him. "First human Spectre…first of many."

Vidinos aggressively slammed his hands on the table with a growl. "Your people are a disease." He growled to Ashley and then looked to Tali. "And yours are the trash of the galaxy, vermin who can't keep their own planet under them.

Sidda huffed, she was getting more and more annoyed by an array of things but Vidinos was taking the top prize right now. "Alright, back off." She said finally.

Vidinos looked up from his cold glare at Tali and slowly rose back up to stand at his full height. "Cdr. Shepard." He stated looking her up and down again. When he met her his opinion of her was low, very low, but after seeing her blaze a trail through the courses he learned that she knew what she was doing as a soldier though it didn't mean he liked her, just meant he knew not to underestimate her. "You're a token…a sign that the Council is weak."

Sidda snorted and moved around the table slowly trying to keep what little hold on her temper still intact. "Or it's a sign that the galaxy needs to make room for the next big thing." Ashely chimed in.

"You let a colony be destroyed and a Spectre be murdered…what makes you qualified to be a Spectre?" he asked and Sidda's temper spiked but she kept a handle on it.

"Because I'm the best." She hissed and sounded pleased with herself.

"You humans think you own the galaxy…you've only just arrived and now your people have invaded the Spectres and are even trying to get a spot on the Council." Vidinos stated as he stood face to face with the small human.

"Sparatus gave me this job, believe me…I can do it." She replied and he sneered

"What can you do? You can't even protect your own colonies." He sneered and she stepped closer to him, the Turian training in her showed its colors.

"I did protect a colony, asshole, what the hell have you done?" she hissed and Vidinos was seasoned enough to not bite the bait.

"Ahh, yes, Elysium…you stopped the invasion but your people still don't know how to defend your colonies, the Empire would never have let that happen." Vidinos said and Sidda scoffed, she wasn't in the mood for this. Once again, she as being prodded by a Turian who didn't think she could hack it.

"Okay, you know what, I really don't have time or need to arm wrestle you for every little thing so put your money where your mouth is and lets do this…head to head…you name the scenario." She snarled unmistakably throwing down the gauntlet.

Vidinos smirked, he had heard she had Turian training and he could see it. "Ochren, set it up, timed capture, me versus the Commander."

* * *

Ahern wasn't exactly pleased with the grudge match that was about to happen but he left in alone as getting in the middle might be suicidal. Sidda wanted to get the hell out of here and he could understand that. He didn't know the entire story about Saren but got the general gist of it and also knew that Saren murdered her friend. The kind of anger she carried he'd seen before and it worried him.

Sidda winced slightly as she bent the wrong direction. The ribs that had been broken weren't healed yet, when the armor was on it braced them but they still hurt. She cursed herself for finding a grudge match less than a day after she showed up.

"Commander," Ahern stated walking into the locker room without a second hesitation. "You're either crazy or just shit stupid I can't tell which." He stated his tone filled with both surprise and irritation.

Sidda chuckled slightly. "I've been accused of worse."

"Magnus Vidinos trains Spectres for a living, Commander, he may not be a Spectre but he is the best when it comes to training." Ahern stated and Sidda shifted the armor around to get comfortable.

"He's also an asshole blessed with an overabundance of ego." She stated and Ahern eyed her still trying to decide if she crazy, brave, or stupid.

"And you think you're the one that's going to take him down a notch?" he asked directly and Sidda closed the locker door finished with what she was doing.

"Yes." She answered promptly.

Ahern understood why she had the reputation that she had. "Well, you get an A+ for confidence, Commander, but I'm still trying to decide if you're stupid, crazy, or brave."

"A very good friend of mine named Damar would say all three." She replied.

"For the record, Commander, this is reckless and I advise against it." He said as they headed out of the locker room out into the open with everyone else. "Unofficially…kick his ass, Commander."

Sidda smiled and nodded to him, she wasn't sure how she kept landing in the middle of a Turian grudge match. Either it was someone who didn't think she had it or someone who was intimidated by her. She knew what she was doing but found that she had to prove that to nearly everyone.

Near the entrance to the simulator Sidda was getting all her last minute equipment and checks from Garrus and Ashley.

"Commander, are you sure you want to do this?" Ashley asked and saw Sidda grimace again to the pain in her side.

"I'll be fine." She replied quickly. "Gonna put this son of a bitch in his place, get this training over with, and get back to the mission." She stated as Garrus handed her the pistol. Sidda had seen him check the weapon but didn't know him well enough to trust him blindly with her weapons like she would from Nov or Victus. She checked the weapon and waved off the assault rifle he passed her. "No, this is good."

"Just the pistol?" Ashley asked and her face was colored with the same expression as Garrus'.

"You sure, Commander?" Garrus asked.

"You'd be surprised what I can do with just this." She stated and Garrus had to snort. She was either cocky or just that damn good he couldn't tell which. "Okay, let's do this."

* * *

Sidda closed her eyes and prepared herself for what was about to take place. She could hear Ochren counting down to the start of this time limited, capture the flag against each other, and hampered by Geth. Whoever got through the Geth and captured the target first was the winner but they had to beat the three minute clock.

A surge of adrenalin coursed through her body as the enemies spawned right on top of her. There were no restrictions on this match, so the bad guys spawned wherever the the VI put them. Geth were chosen as the enemy as neither she nor Vidinos were technologically based so it added to the challenge. The Geth appeared on top of her and she immediately set out a shockwave to knock a good portion of them back and then proceeded to eliminate them as fast as she could. Ochren didn't skimp on the difficulty, the Geth swarmed her but she continued to take them out and press forward toward the objective. It wasn't just her being hindered, Vidinos was too. She caught a glimpse of him across the subterranean map but returned her attention back to her own field of guests.

The mental timer in her head told her that she had to go if she was going to beat Vidinos, she wasn't about to give that bastard the satisfaction of beating her but he was a Turian so there was a better than average chance that he just might kick her ass up around her ears. No matter how good she was and what training she'd had, a Turian had evolution on their side.

As she made her way through the course, damn near of all of Pinnacle Station watched. Ahern paced knowing that there was a real possibility that both of them could be hurt or killed and he really didn't want to explain that outcome to the Alliance or to the Council. Her team watched the legendary officer tear through the course with only a pistol. Garrus was already impressed by her skills on Therum but now he was seeing even more of them. The Alliance didn't skimp with her N7 training and the Turian's certainly did their best at turning her into a lethal weapon, of course the goal of this was not to kill Vidinos, just beat him.

"50 credits say Magnus takes her." Burrum stated and Wrex scoffed to the other Krogan.

"You wish." Wrex stated and Garrus was a little surprised to hear Wrex come down on Sidda's side. Wrex hadn't been on Therum to see her in action but he had been somewhat impressed by her skills so far during the training.

"I got 100 that says she kicks his ass." Garrus said, increasing the bet reflecting the confidence he had in her. Ashley raised her eyebrows to the big spender that was Garrus.

"Against him?" Dagha replied. "I know her reputation but there's no way she can beat him. Vidinos is the best for a reason, Spectre's train against him because he's the best."

Garrus nodded but his confidence in Sidda was strong. He'd seen enough to know she was good and knew her grit and determination would put her on top. "Well, then let's make it 200." He replied and Kaidan laughed.

"I'm with Garrus, she's the Hero of Elysium." Kaidan stated. "200 says the Commander wins."

"Pick it up you two." Ahern said into the comm., sounding irritated as usual. "The betting's getting pretty heavy."

The pool continued to grow as everyone observed the two powers going head to head. Sidda wasn't kidding about her talent with the pistol; she spent one shot on each target, a headshot. Kaidan noticed that even though she was a biotic she used them minimally. He didn't know it but that was a product of the Turian training. She'd learned to use the biotcs like she used her other weapons.

They both reached the final checkpoint at the same time on opposite sides of the landing. Vidinos fired a burst from his rifle but she rolled under it and sprang up on his right. He was surprised how fast she moved and attempted to counter by turning back toward her to fire. She was close enough to hit him with the butt of her pistol and she smacked the Turian hard in the right side of the face. Vidinos growled as the attack on him only served to further piss him off.

"One minute." Ahern announced as Sidda managed to disarm Vidinos to the surprise of everyone watching.

"Where the hell'd she learn to do that?" Dahga asked. "That was damn effective."

"Don't forget who she is." Kaidan stated. "She defended a colony until help arrived. Hours and hours of nonstop combat." He finished his tone starting to sound more like hero worship than anything else.

All Vidinos had to do now was strip the pistol from her and it was melee fight, that was easier said than done because Vidinos was now realizing that she was exceptional. N7 trained and supplemented by Turian Special Ops, the ship she trained on carried the best…pity he didn't notice that before now. He did manage to get rid of the weapon leveling the field again. Now it was hand to hand, Vidinos was bigger and a little more aggressive than Cerrus. Cerrus tolerated her but Vidinos didn't want or need that luxury so he came at her hard.

The audience watched as Vidinos tossed her around in what looked like choreographed moves. She was used to be flung around with her size it couldn't be helped but thanks to training with Turians day in and day out for a year she'd learned how to land so she could get back into the fight. Something was different about how this fight looked. To those who were betting on Vidinos it really didn't look good. The Turian had handedly beaten every opponent he'd gone up against but he was having trouble with her. Kaidan and Ashley saw their commanding officer kick the martial arts into high gear and heard her yelp as Vidinos landed three punches in a row right to the ribs that were broken. She managed to get away from him and jumped into a spinning back kick nailing Vidinos in the chest sending him staggering backward but he kept his feet. She ignored the pain in her side and went after the objective. He was between her and the objective.

They clashed together again, both now desperate to get to the objective first, by her internal timer she had about 45 seconds to do just that but Vidinos had other ideas. They both had nearly forgotten about the timer on this as it had become a grudge match between two people who just met. She had enough of fucking with him and wanted this to end. She used her small size and flipped her legs up over his head locking them around his neck. Vidinos became unbalanced with the extra 150ish pounds of added weight. It had been a long time since she'd performed this move and had never tried it on a Turian. The weight and leverage flipped Vidinos forward, slamming him back first onto the deck.

Vidinos saw stars, that was a hard landing and he felt it through his armor. Sidda got to her feet and collected the pistol seeing the timer at about 20 seconds. She tapped the pedestal and had to hold the position for 10 seconds panting hard from the exertion she just went through.

"Time." Ahern announced and the observation area erupted in cheers from her crew. Garrus held his hands up to take in the victory.

Sidda turned back toward Vidinos and offered to help him up. Typical Turian though refused the help like most others that she offered the help too.

She tried not to wince as she walked out of the simulator though her side felt like Cerrus went at it. Thankfully, the armor absorbed most of Vidinos' impacts but it still hurt. She could hear the lecture from Dr. Chakwas now, something about fighting a Turian was not in the definition of take it easy for a few days.

"Cdr. Shepard." The young Lt. Bryant greeted as she passed extending his hand out to her. "Pleasure to see you in action, Ma'am." He stated and Sidda shook his hand tightly for a moment before continuing on.

"I'm still not sure which one you are, Commander, but that was a hell of a show." Ahern stated and looked to Vidinos. "Both of you."

Vidinos bristled a little to the hollow compliment from him since he was the loser in the fight. There was no good way in Vidinos' mind to lose to a human but he had to admit she was everything she was cracked up to be.

"You alright, Commander?" Kaidan asked looking her up and down.

"I've felt worse." She stated to him, and then looked to Garrus. "How much money did you make off me?"

"None." He replied innocently almost playfully.

Sidda scoffed. "You sure you're a cop, Garrus, because you're a terrible liar."

* * *

Pinnacle Station was under orders to supply the _Normandy_ so while Sidda and company were busy training and testing and kicking each other's ass Ahern had his techs give the frigate a surplus of weapons, mods, and repair kits. The tone of Sidda's crew had changed; for the most part they seemed to trust each other more drilling and training wasn't the same as bonding during combat but it was close enough. Sidda was an easy person to get along with even with the bad attitude eating away at her right now. She and Garrus bonded instantly; it may have had something to do with the fact that Sidda found him attractive but the rest of the crew saw the strong bond and built on it. Wrex was a surprise; the Krogan wasn't the friendliest guy but he was a team player. The other problem child was Ashley, the soldier wasn't thrilled about working with aliens but she seemed to have bonded with Tali.

Sidda began to gather up her men as it was about time to get going. "Commander." A voice called stopping her. It was Vidinos, he was probably still sore over losing to her but he seemed to have taken it better than she thought he would. She stopped and faced him looking up at his towering figure. "You fought well. Whoever taught you knew what they were doing."

Sidda looked him up and down. He had the same look that Cerrus did when he was giving her a compliment or praising her about something. "You were a hell of an opponent." She replied and saw the Turian straighten, obviously he had the same opinion of mutual compliments as Cerrus did.

He sighed and got down the reason he stopped her. "You had the top score with pistols according to Ochren." He said and handed her the sidearm she'd seen him carry the whole time she'd seen him on base. "Here. It's better than the model you have and has extensive modifications."

Sidda took it examining it and then looked up at him. "It's not gonna blow up in my face or anything is it?"

Vidinos' expression narrowed. "It's a gift, Commander, do you want it or not?" he growled.

Sidda snorted to the typical ill-tempered Turian tone. "Gift or trophy?" she asked and Vidinos' expression told her everything. "Alright." She relented noting that her sarcasm wasn't getting her anywhere but further to another conflict with him. "I accept…thank you."

Vidinos nodded finally. "May I ask a favor, Commander?" he added and Sidda's eyes narrowed sharply. First he tried to kick her ass then he asked for a favor? This day just kept getting better and better. "Nihlus Kryik was a friend of mine as well." He stated. "You find Saren and you use that gun to put a bullet in his head."

Sidda nodded to him. "That's a favor I'll do for you." She said. "And for Nihlus and for Deliah and for myself."

Vidinos gave her a sharp nod, he'd said his peace and left her stand there with the new pistol. It was a Spectre pistol same as hers but it had obvious modifications, it was all black with the tell-tale red light of the Spectre weapons. She couldn't wait to fire it honestly.

"Commander, the _Normandy's_ set to leave." Liara stated approaching her. "Adm. Ahern's men are finished loading all the supplies. The crew is heading back to the ship now."

Sidda looked up to the Asari and nodded. "Thank you, Liara." She said and lingered a moment looking at the new pistol in her hand. Liara studied the woman; everyone could see the anger that was building, or barely hanging on, inside her. Fighting Vidinos was a way to channel the overload of rage but now she wanted to get back out there and track the man who murdered her friend.

Liara stepped toward her as Sidda stared down at the weapon, she had no idea what was running through her mind. "Commander?" she asked jogging her out of the trance.

Sidda snapped out of her trance and walked forward with purpose. "Let's go." She stated quickly and Liara fell in with her. She didn't know her well and honestly didn't have much experience with humans but noticed that there was something not quite right with her. It was the anger, the rage, the monster inside that needed to be let out on her target before it blew up in their face. They needed to find Saren and they needed to do it now.


	5. Chapter 5: The Not So Simple Plan

_Authors Note: Okay, this one took my brain and ran away. It did get away from me a bit and I will tell you it is part one of two. I'm quite proud of this one and its buddy that I'm working on right now. _

_I'd like to thank Ipander for the continued encouragement and support. You've been awesome. Really. _

_Thank you to all the favorites and follows and thank you all for being patient with me as I follow the game and set things up. I know this is what you all have been waiting for, this one is 100% original. Enjoy and as always, reviews are helpful and very much welcome. _

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Five: The Not So Simple Plan**

Joker's voice carried through Sidda's quarters; she was busy sleeping off a rough mission on some frozen icebox that had a minor lead on whatever the 'Conduit' was that Saren was searching for. It was said the planet had a Prothean ruin or two but it turned out to be a fruitless venture. Running around on the planet that was a frigid environmental hazard was not her idea of fun and she nearly throttled Liara when she found nothing worthwhile on the planet. There was another fun and exciting excursion in the Mako with Sidda at the helm but that was a tale for another day.

"_Commander?"_ Joker questioned and got no response from her. _"Commander? Hello?"_

Sidda groaned and pulled the blankets off her face. "What?" she snapped.

"_You have a message coming in…its coded in with a Turian scrambler."_ Joker stated and Sidda sat up, sharply regretting it immediately while putting her hand on her still sore ribs.

"Oh, son of a bitch." She hissed and got out of bed. "Put it through here." She was slow to get up as the past few weeks had taken a toll on her body.

The screen at the desk changed to the face of one specific Turian, her Turian. She knew it was him calling on a scrambled Turian channel so didn't bother to put a shirt over the black sports bra. Her bruised side was clearly visible and that was the first thing that he saw. "Sid…are you okay?"

"Yep, Krogan…me…bad combination." She stated and smiled looking at him.

Victus narrowed his expression. "Everything alright?"

"No." she replied simply and sighed. "God, it's good to see you."

Victus' tone told her something was off. He was happy to see her as well but he had something she needed to see. "You too..." he said and sighed deeply. "but this isn't a social call, Sid, I have some information for you and you're gonna want to see it."

Her eyes narrowed to his tone. "What is it?"

"I'm not going to say over the comm even if the line is scrambled." He stated. "I'm transmitting coordinates with this, I need to see you there…as soon as possible."

"What's the problem?" she asked.

"Just meet me, Sid, please." He said and Sidda nodded.

"Be there as soon as we can." She said and Victus lingered a moment as she saw him look her up and down.

"One more thing." He said and she cocked her head to him.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Take that top off." He stated and if a wolfish smile had a tone Victus' was it.

Sidda blushed a little and leaned forward on the desk giving him a nice cleavage view. "When I see you." She said and heard Victus purr. "You can have all you want."

* * *

The_ Normandy _appeared out of thin air as its mass effect core spat them out only a few 100 kliks off of where Joker had intended it to be. With Sidda standing behind him he almost felt like he was under a microscope, Kaidan in the navigation seat snorted as the pilot kept glancing over his should trying to see if the Commander was still there. Sidda wasn't interested in Joker's piloting skills, she knew he could jump them across the galaxy and everything would be fine, she was more interested in the cryptic things Adrien had said. He said he had information for her but didn't want to share it over a totally scrambled Turian comm line. That was the odd part, whatever he had was big.

Joker piloted the nose around and the forward view ports filled with familiar Turian frigate. Easily twice the size of the _Normandy,_ the _Lante _dwarfed its hybrid cousin. She may have outsized and out gunned the _Normandy_ but she definitely couldn't out run her. The Tantalus core was a prize to have but not very cost effective to install.

The _Normandy_ shook as the _Lante_ docked with it. Victus' message said he had some information on Saren that she might want to see. After what happened to Nihlus and being made a Spectre her emotions were all over the place. There was no doubt in her mind Victus would be a welcome sight. In truth, the crew of the _Lante_ was going to be a welcome sight…except for Rajin. She'd married Nihlus less than a year ago and Sidda wasn't looking forward to facing her.

The airlock cycled and opened revealed Victus' towering figure. Sidda smiled, she was so happy to see him. "Adrien…" she stated with the biggest brightest smile she could muster. "you have no idea how good it is to see you."

News about what happened to Nihlus, Saren's disgrace, and the subsequent galaxy wide manhunt for him spread through Turian space. "I can imagine." He replied stepping forward to her observing her body language. "You alright?" he asked and she minded her surroundings. The CIC, the cockpit, lots of people watching.

She maintained her professionalism. "You want a tour?"

Victus maintained the professionalism as well and straightened, like he usually did when there was something important that he had to do. "Later. We need to talk. Maridus will be along soon to join us."

Sidda nodded to his directness, she always loved that about him. He didn't beat around the bush or hum and ha over things. He was typically short, sweet, and to the point. He'd done that with her when they'd met. He saw something he wanted and went for it and now they had a stable relationship that wasn't popular with everyone. She led him through the CIC and to the Comm room that doubled as the briefing room.

The door closed behind them and she felt his arms scoop her up and turned her toward him. He pressed his forehead to hers and held her tight against him. "Are you okay?" he asked noticing that she wasn't acting like herself. He'd heard of the flurry of things that happened all in the span of a few days and hoped that it didn't overwhelm her. She already looked like she was barely hanging on and he wanted to do everything he could to help her.

Sidda really wasn't okay but she didn't want to get into that right now, there was too much for her to do to fall apart now. She stroked his left mandible with her right hand and stretched up as far as she could to kiss him. He helped the short human and bent down so their mouths met. She felt better now that he was here but it was only a stop gap. She broke from the kiss by returning to a flat footed stance. "I don't want to get into that now…let's take care of this first." She stated and turned away from him leaving him slightly confused by her actions, pulling away from him wasn't like her. "So what's the secret information?" she asked spurring the conversation on and Victus went with it for now.

He walked up to the far console and input an OSD. "Desala was able to track odd shipments to Rothla." He stated and Sidda narrowed her eyes.

That name rang a bell. "Rothla. Why do I know that?" she asked.

"In the Krogan DMZ." Maridus chimed in joining them. "Nice ship, Sidda." He greeting as she gave him a hug. "How are you doing?"

She took a step back from him and snorted. "Tired of people asking me that." She replied.

Maridus nodded to her tone and moved past it. "Rothla was the site of a mystery weapon built by the Krogans during the rebellions. Whatever it was it blew the ice dwarf planet into pieces but no one knows what it was because it killed everyone on the planet as well. To appease the galactic community it's a no fly zone for anyone. CDEM maintains a strict quarantine of the debris field."

"So when Desala's intelligence contacts found odd shipments she did some more digging and found and found this." Victus said and showed them on the briefing display. "Palaven Intelligence shows a base on one of the larger chunks is fully functional."

Sidda's eyes narrowed. "So how do you know this is connected to Saren?" she stated. "Those shipments could be for CDEM…and the Council is just sneaky enough to put a base in the middle of it to keep an eye on everyone."

"Rumors mainly according to Desala." He said. "Listening posts and spy drones have captured images of Geth, somehow able to get in under the nose of the Council."

Sidda blinked; there was an obvious question that she had to ask. "Wait, wait. If this planet is supposed to be demilitarized by the Council and the Turians are the enforcers why haven't you done something about it before now?"

"Command doesn't know I'm here with this. Desala found this and this image of Saren in the Rothla field a week ago. Palaven Intel probably thought it was Spectre related but given recent events with Saren on Eden Prime...it's likely this is a base of his because he had no other reason to be there." Victus replied and Sidda pressed a button to start flipping through the data.

"We'll need a little more intelligence on its specs on the ground before we do anything." Sidda said and Victus looked from her to Maridus and then back again.

"_You'll _need to." He emphasized and she cocked her head confused, he read the expression and preempted the question. "If Palaven Command knew I was here giving you this information I would be court martialed, but I want that bastard caught same as you."

Sidda leaned on the console away from him and thought a moment. She understood that his hands were tied and appreciated the lengths he went to give her this. "We can use the stealth drive, get in, take some detailed scans, and get out."

"I can't go in with you but I can give you some help. Two men and any support aid we can give you, name who you want." Victus said and Sidda appreciated the help. She had a chance to strike at Saren, if in fact that this was good and current intelligence.

With the first-hand knowledge of the _Lante's_ personnel she thought a moment about who she wanted. Victus was her first choice. The seasoned General was second to no one but she got the feeling that there was no way in hell he would be able to come along even if he wanted to. Maridus was a top choice also. The tech infiltrator was a well-rounded operator and he was skilled with a sniper rifle, but the issues with picking the both of them was that would exhaust the _Lante's_ commanding officer and executive officer leaving, in all likelihood, Cerrus in command maybe Ruvio. "I'm going to assume you two are off limits." She said and they both looked at each other. Maridus was flattered that he was among her first choices. Victus nodded and that was what she figured. With the elimination of those two there was one name she knew she wanted and one name she needed but could do without. "Nov and Cerrus then."

Victus could have bet money on Nov being a name she wanted. Those two were like two peas in a pod regardless about how he felt about it. Victus managed to keep his hackles down while thinking about Sidda and Nov working together and trusted the woman he loved. Her selecting Cerrus was a little surprising. She was either tactically brilliant or a glutton for punishment since Cerrus would probably fight her every step of the way. "You sure?" he asked confirming her choices.

She nodded confident in who she wanted and the reasons why. "I need a planner if we wind up assaulting that base and you said it yourself…Cerrus is the best and Cal can handle anything I throw at him."

"Are you recruiting new members to our rag tag band, Shepard?" another Turian voice said from the door to the briefing room. Maridus recognized it immediately and snorted.

"Well, she must be desperate for help because she's got you here." Maridus shot back making Garrus chuckle. The two clasped their right hands together in a grip that was all the way up to the others elbows. "It's been too long, Garrus." Maridus greeted his best friend in the whole wide world.

Garrus nodded to that. He hadn't seen his childhood friend in about two years and that was too long for either of them. Garrus had no brothers and Maridus was an only child, together they were brothers. "Yes it has. How's Solana?" he asked.

"Good. Very good." Maridus answered. "Did she tell you the news? You're gonna be an uncle?"

That took Sidda by surprise and she blinked and Garrus nodded to Maridus. "She did. Congratulations, Dad." He replied making Maridus chuckle.

Sidda folded her arms across her chest as Victus stood behind her left shoulder. "The last time I talked to you I asked you if there was anything new going on…you didn't think 'Damar is going to be a dad' qualified as news?" she asked and Victus dropped his head.

"I forgot, I'm sorry." He replied and Sidda snorted letting him know that she wasn't mad.

"Congratulations, Damar." She stated and Maridus nodded to her appreciating the sentiment. "So this is the infamous duo I was warned about; Garrus Vakarian and Damar Maridus."

"You're looking at the two best snipers the academy has ever seen." Maridus stated and Garrus scoffed.

"Actually, I'm the best…he is a distant second." Garrus replied and cocked his head.

"Distant second?" Maridus questioned. "Distant second, that's what you're going with? You missed the measly 800 meter shot, your greatness."

"But I still won the tournament." Garrus stated and Maridus turned toward his lifelong friend leaving Sidda and Victus forgotten.

"Because you cheated." Maridus replied bluntly.

"I didn't cheat, I just bent the rules." Garrus shot back with a smirk as Sidda snickered.

"Bent? Bent? Try broke, Vakarian."

"So which one of you two is the better shot?" Sidda asked and Victus looked down at her sharply nearly scolding her for fanning the flames.

"I am." They both replied in unison.

"I am the best shot, Garrus. A pretty girl yelled your name and you missed…consistency amid distraction is kind of important for a Sniper." Maridus prattled on and Sidda chuckled at the thought of Garrus missing a simple shot because of a girl.

"My record at the academy still stands as does the one at C-Sec." Garrus stated proudly. "Even your mother says I'm a better shot than you."

Maridus eyed his friend. "Well, she always did like you more than me."

"And the great debate continues." Garrus stated and looked to Sidda. "I'm sorry, Commander, General."

They both waved off the childish display and Sidda found it quite amusing. "Damar, can you get Nov and Cerrus onboard please?" Victus asked as they all headed out of the briefing room, now that they had a general plan of what they were going to be doing.

* * *

As they left the briefing room and walked passed the galaxy map they heard a commotion coming from the airlock. "Ma'am, you do not have authorization to come onboard." She heard one of her marines say, and when she got closer to the scuffle she recognized the Turian female arguing with one of the Alliance Marines.

"Hold on. Hold on, Corporal, it's okay." Sidda stated and the soldier immediately backed off.

Sidda looked the Turian up and down, the tall figure with the black hand print face markings and silvery eyes…this was a meeting Sidda had been dreading. "Deliah."

Rajin punched Sidda in the mouth so hard it knocked Sidda off her feet. She fell back and felt the back of her head bounce off the deck. Rajin's hit stunned her but she heard Maridus bark at her.

"Hey! Get your ass back to the _Lante_, Lieutenant, now!" he barked at her.

"No." Sidda managed and sat up with the assistance from Victus on the right and Garrus on the left. Her hand went to the back of her head and she hissed in pain but felt no blood. "Deliah-…" she began but was cut off.

"You were supposed to watch his back!" Rajin barked.

Sidda wiped the blood from her mouth. "I tried, Deliah, I reall-…"

"Not hard enough!" she roared taking a step toward the smaller human and Maridus stepped in the way. "He was proud that the Council accepted his recommendation and you let him die!"

Everything Rajin was saying was the truth; it was her fault that Nihlus was dead so she didn't blame Rajin for actions right now. She said nothing and just listened but Victus saw the expression on her face. He turned his attention from her to his subordinate, Rajin was hurting right now and he honestly couldn't blame her. "Get back to the ship, Lieutenant, I'll deal with you later." He stated and it took a moment for Rajin's cold glare to shift from Sidda and up to him.

"No. No." Sidda stated and she looked to Garrus. "Garrus, could you take her down below so she can go through Nihlus' locker?"

Garrus nodded and gestured for Rajin to come with him. The Turian female was angry and hurt and probably emotionally distraught.

* * *

Sidda's anger was reaching the breaking point and that was something that Victus could see plain as day. If she was pissed off before with everything that was going on she was even more so now since she'd been flattened by Rajin and accused of allowing Nihlus to be killed whether it be intentional or accidental. Her mouth was bleeding from the hit, and even he'd heard her head smack the deck when she fell, so she probably had a major headache now.

He followed her into her quarters as she moved with angry purpose. "Sidda, are you alright?" he asked again this time trying to get an answer out of her.

"No." she snapped back as the door to her quarters closed behind Victus.

"Then talk to me." He said in a tone that rang more of a plea.

Sidda finally snapped as she picked up a cloth to dab at the blood that was still leaking from her mouth. "I told Nihlus to wait!" she barked. "The stubborn bastard ignored me."

Victus stepped close to her and put a hand on her arm. "It's not your fault." He said. "Nihlus was a soldier…a damn good one-…"

Sidda shook his hand off her arm and stepped away from him. He'd never seen her so angry, this beat out the tantrum she threw when Cerrus disobeyed an order she gave him. "And shot in the back by someone he trusted because he didn't have someone there to watch his back!" She snapped sounding angry with herself. "Me. I wasn't there to help him!"

Victus replaced his hand on her arm and Sidda tried to shake it away again, angry and upset but Victus didn't let her go. "Sidda…it's not your fault."

"It is my fault! Who else's fault would it be?" she barked back and Victus answered.

"Saren's." He answered firmly. "Not yours."

Sidda composed herself, a little embarrassed that she came unglued like that. The rage burned so deep within her, she'd never felt like this before. She'd been angry and upset but this was completely different. "I have never wanted to kill someone more than I want to kill Saren. I've never wanted to reach down someone's throat and rip their heart out as badly as I wanna do right now." She stated calmly and Victus hand a hand on both shoulders trying to get her to calm down.

Victus quietly observed her; he couldn't help the sense of worry. "You'll get him, Sid, and I'm gonna help you do it."

Sidda let herself fall into an embrace and he was more than happy to wrap his arms around her and give her all the comfort and support she needed.

* * *

A few hours later Victus had returned to the _Lante_ to scold the hell out of Rajin for acting entirely unprofessional and for slugging his girlfriend. He could understand how she was feeling but he still expected a certain level of decorum from his officers. Sidda felt a little better, being comforted by Victus in more ways than one helped relieve the stress to a point. Rajin's words still rang through loud and clear. She was responsible for Nihlus' death; she was supposed to watch his back not let someone put a bullet in it.

She had hashed out a few mission details with Joker and Pressley and had decided not to tell the Council that she was about to invade a Krogan DMZ no fly zone, although the look on Sparatus' face would have been worth it. Joker, of course had no problem using the stealth system to spy on Rothla, the site of one of the biggest urban legends in the galaxy, but Pressley was decidedly against it. That man followed the rules to the letter but he was decent first officer.

Sidda and Garrus' discussion about her Mako driving skills carried through the Bay loud enough for Ashley to join in. The vote was unanimous; Sidda was a terrifying Mako driver.

"This thing is a tank, Sidda, not a Skycar." Garrus stated and Sidda passed it off.

"Then maybe we should get a ground vehicle that can keep up with me, Garrus." She replied.

"Or, you could let one of us drive…you know…someone who has a license to drive not a license to render the occupants into organic goo." Garrus stated and Sidda turned her head toward him.

"Are you saying I'm a bad driver?" she asked and the Turian stammered.

"Not at all…" Ashley chimed in. "We're saying you're a horrible driver." She stated and Sidda glowered between the two of them. "I've never been carsick a day in my life, Skipper, one ride with you…"

Sidda scoffed to them. "Fine…next time we go out ya'll get to fight over who gets to drive."

Ashley and Garrus looked at each other sharply. "I do." They both said in unison.

"So, besides voicing your displeasure of my driving skills, Garrus, how is the Mako?"

"As I said before…you damn near broke the front axle launching off an 800 foot drop but other than that…it's fine…would be better if you'd let someone else drive."

"You sound like a mother hen." She retorted and Garrus cocked his head.

"I don't know what that is, Commander, and I'm not sure if I like it."

Sidda continued to banter with Garrus and Ashley about the condition of the Mako after she drives it or launches it off a mountain. Her conversation carried on as the elevator door opened, Sidda was locked into the conversation she was having and paid the door no mind. Garrus and Ashley saw two Turians step off the lift. One with bright red paint on his face and the other with subtle purple markings, they were from the _Lante_, Garrus knew that. The one with red paint held his right forefinger to his lips telling them to be quiet as the other one seemed uninterested in what was going on.

The red painted one crept up behind Sidda and snatched her up with the quickness of a cat. Sidda yelped, startled, and was slung over the left shoulder of the Turian. "Hi, I'm looking for Cdr. Shepard. She's got brown hair, about yey high, have you seen her?" Nov asked indicating her height his chest.

She stifled the grimace in her tender left side. "Cal, put me down." Sidda said figuring out almost immediately whose shoulder she was slung over. "Hi, Cerrus."

"Commander." He replied simply.

Nov bent forward and set her back on her feet with a chuckle. "Oh, there she is."

Sidda couldn't help but giggle to the class clown that was Callus Nov. "Well, I see your shoulder's better." She stated patting the once shattered shoulder. "How ya doing, Cal?"

Nov dipped his head to her respectfully; she was the one person he dreamed of seeing for a year. "Better now, how are you?" he replied and Sidda's smile remained but her cheeks flushed a little. She spared him the truthful answer about how she was doing and turned toward the others.

"Guys, this is Capt. Cerrus and Lt. Nov from the _Lante_. This is Chief Williams and-…"

"Garrus Vakarian." Nov finished. "I remember...you're Solana's brother."

"Callus Nov…I remember you too." Garrus replied and they shook hands.

"And it's 'Captain' Nov now." Nov stated and Sidda looked at him surprised.

"A promotion…congratulations, Captain." She stated shaking his hand.

Nov nodded to her and was elated to see her again. He was screaming inside and had been since being told that they were meeting up with her new ship. Outside he kept it all under wraps, he had to act professional. "Thank you." He replied kindly, he wanted so bad to get the download from her. Where she'd been, what she'd done, how she was in the past year but that would have to wait. They were here for a purpose and that needed to be tended to first.

"Garrus, can you take them to the briefing room. Chief, help me round everyone else up." She said and they both nodded disbursing to all congregate in the briefing room. Nov and Cerrus knew why they were there but the rest of her crew didn't know that they were about to spy on a debris field right under the Council's nose."

* * *

The Briefing Room was at capacity, with Sidda and her team present she was also joined by Cerrus, Nov, Maridus, and Victus. Even Joker made his way from the cockpit to the briefing room to be present for this. Sidda allowed Maridus to conduct the briefing and leaned on the wall next to Victus. She still wasn't herself, the more she stood idle the worse she got, she wanted Saren dead and she wanted him dead now. She had plans for Saren's head and preferred it on a pike in the CIC. Victus was worried about her, the rage made her determined but also careless.

Sidda listened quietly as Maridus explained the Intelligence they had gathered and that its location made it worth investigating. She had seen enough, Geth had been sighted and Saren as well.

"Rothla?" Tali questioned. "Is that even considered a planet?"

"Technically no. Not anymore." Maridus answered and caught the look of the Krogan in his audience. He was surprised to even find a Krogan minding his manners in a room of Turians. It was odd, really odd. "During the Krogan Rebellions it was the site of a mystery explosion that destroyed nearly all of the planet. The majority of it is now a giant debris field but almost an eighth of the planet surface is intact, curvature and all…that's where this little base is located."

"What destroyed it?" Kaidan asked. What happened to Rothla was one of the biggest mysteries in the galaxy. It was fun to speculate over it but the truth was no one really knew, not even the Krogan.

The entire room seemed to look at Wrex who looked back at them and held his hands out to the side with a shrug. "What the hell are you all looking at me for? The Clan on that planet was killed when the planet was destroyed."

"Theory is it was some planetary super weapon that backfired during a test and destroyed the planet." Nov stated and now it was time for the archaeologist to weigh in.

"Another theory was the 'super biotic'." She stated and Maridus nodded with a snort.

"That one's my favorite." He stated. "The Krogan breeding a super biotic army powerful enough to destroy the Turian fleet and turn the tide of the rebellion." He recounted, now getting drawn into one of his favorite legends. "There was a novel written by Maleen Sevrus called the _Rothla Experiment_, it's my favorite you should try it." He said to Liara.

The Asari scientist smiled to him and nodded excited that someone else saw this type of history just as fascinating. "Oh I have, it's a fascinating piece of fiction." She replied. "You should try _The Event_ by Leandra Taine."

Sidda rubbed her forehead as she saw various members of the crew start to fidget. "Could we get back to it, please." She asked and the 'please' was there merely for formality as her tone reflected her impatience.

Maridus had to admit he got carried away by something that had fascinated him since he was little kid. "Sorry, Commander."

"Nerd." Nov muttered loud enough for the room to hear causing several snorts, snickers, and stifled laughs.

Sidda was growing more and more impatient with each passing minute. "So if you know where the base is, why hasn't the quarantine garrison picked it up? Obviously it's not supposed to be there." She huffed trying to move this along.

"Could be just an oversight." Victus answered. "The Quarantine is meant to keep people out not keep tabs on the debris field beyond looking for rogue ricochets."

"Palaven Intel found it and they didn't even know what they were looking for." She challenged and Victus looked down at her, her tone was harsher than normal.

"Desala's theory though, and I suggest you operate under this, is that Saren had paid the garrison to look the other way." Maridus added and Sidda felt the urge to kill Saren surge within.

"Regardless, we're going to need more information. Confirm what's down there before we go in." Garrus stated and the majority of the room agreed.

"We can use the stealth system to get into the field." Joker stated and looked at the holo image of the Rothla Field that Maridus had input into the system. "But the trajectory of all the debris…we might need an erratic flight plan to look like a chunk of debris. Depends on how close the CDEM is looking."

"Why don't we just jump in, blow the base and get out, be done with it." Sidda stated and the room fell silent.

Cerrus' eyes narrowed. "Because you need intelligence, Commander." He stated. She was a smart commander he knew that. She knew the value of information and given that from what he understood of what was going on with Saren, the Geth, and the Reapers they needed all the intelligence they could get.

"He's right." Kaidan agreed. "Saren is searching for the 'Conduit' we don't know what that is." The biotic said and Victus could see Sidda's temper starting to reach its peak. "We need to get down there and plug into their computers and see what data we can capture."

"And we don't even know if Saren's here." Garrus put in. "This could be a secret base of his or a secret listening post for the Council that none of us are supposed to know about."

"I agree." Maridus said. "You definitely need more intelligence before you do anything, Sid."

Sidda stood up straight sharply losing her cool. "Alright!" she barked and then calmed her tone realizing that she just snapped at all of them. Apologizing would be pointless so she just moved on. "Joker, can you get us in without being seen and keep us hidden long enough to gather more information?"

There was only one answer to that. Whether he could or not, Joker's ego wouldn't let him say no. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Fine." She said sharply. "Draw up a plan with Pressley, when you're ready we'll execute. Dismissed." She said and walked out first leaving the rest of her crew a little confused by her outburst. Nov and Victus locked eyes, they both could tell she wasn't herself right now.

Victus jogged after her as she power-walked down the steps, presumably heading to her quarters. "Sid." He called and increased his speed to duck in front of her mid-way down the steps. "Sid, wait." Sidda stopped sharply and looked up at him. She wasn't angry or upset with him in any way, it was actually a relief to have him here but she couldn't help herself now. There were too many emotions jockeying for position and she couldn't tell what ones were hers and what ones came from that damn beacon. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I swear, if someone asks me that again I'm going to punch them." She threatened and he straightened his posture.

He got right to the point with her because he sensed that fencing with her was likely going to get him shot. "You are not acting like yourself. Now you can try to punch me but I'm going to ask you this anyway and I expect an answer." He said firmly. She was stubborn just like him and he was reasonably confident that she wouldn't try to kill him because of her shorter than normal temper. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She replied but he didn't believe her and she saw that. "Adrien, I'm fine. I just want this to be done. I want to find Saren, kill him, and I want his head decorating the galaxy map."

Victus blinked. "Well, that's brutally poetic but you need to calm down." He coaxed and she looked down away from him. He put his hand on her left shoulder trying to figure out how to help her focus on something beyond killing Saren.

She nodded to him knowing full well that he right. "I'll be okay, Adrien, I promise." She said and stepped close to him hugging him tight a closing her eyes. Victus responded by doing the same and held her there.

"I don't want to see you hurt, okay." He said and stayed there for a moment before bottling up all her issues and took a step back with a deep breath.

"You and Damar might want to get back to the _Lante_. When Joker is ready we're going to execute this little flyby and see what we come up with." She stated and Victus nodded. He almost didn't want to leave, he was worried enough to risk a court marital but knew she would fight him every step. She was as stubborn as he was but he also knew that she could handle anything the galaxy threw at her. The part that worried about her was trumped by the part that was exceedingly confident in her.

* * *

Joker was more than capable to handle the recon while acting like a chunk of debris to fool the patrol. Sidda left Pressley and Joker in charge of the recon and joined Nov and Cerrus in the Cargo Bay. Cerrus' job was to plan, he knew that. Whatever the recon came back with would start his task, but first he needed an inventory of what the _Normandy_ had on hand. The ship had been stocked at both the Citadel and _Pinnacle Station_ so its arsenal was enough to make any gun bunny cheer. His problem was getting around Ashley, who trusted the Turian no further than she could throw him. They were already snipping and bickering and Sidda did her best to ignore them both.

"Hey," Nov greeted as he approached the gun bench she was hunched over. "we got some time to kill…you wanna spar?"

"No." she answered, flatly and Nov was caught a little off guard. She was always up for a spar with him, or at least she had been in the past.

"Oh, come on…bet you haven't had a decent sparring partner since you left." He encouraged and she let out a loud growl.

"I said no, Cal, what part of that don't you get?" she barked and the tall Turian cocked his head to her very peculiar attitude. Her voice carried over the Cargo Bay and everyone fell silent.

Nov took a half step back from her reading her body language, she may have been occupied with what she was doing but he still didn't want to be in striking distance. "Sid, are you okay?" he asked and she snapped slamming the tools down on the bench and spun to face him.

"Would people stop asking me that!" she roared. "No, I'm not fucking okay! I got my friend killed and I'm chasing another Spectre without a clue on where he is! I got this alien shit downloaded into my brain and I can't even make sense of it! All I know is that I'm responsible for what happened on Eden Prime and I want Saren dead, NOW, while everyone else is walking around like 'aw shucks, a Spectre died in the process and you missed Saren on Eden Prime, no problem catch him next time'. It is a problem, a big fucking problem. I got Nihlus killed and they made me a Spectre for it, so don't fucking ask me if I'm okay!" she yelled at him. Her heart was racing, and she could feel her cheeks flushed and hot with the rage that finally found an outlet.

She had gained quite the audience as her voice carried loud enough to be heard clear into the Engine Room. Tali and Adams stood in the door way observing as Garrus, Ashley, Cerrus, and Wrex all stopped what they were doing to do the same.

Nov eyed Sidda trying to figure out how to force her past the misplaced responsibility she felt for Nihlus' death. Her attitude was seriously starting to get on his nerves as he knew exactly what type of solider and leader she was. He could understand the guilt as he still felt the guilt of losing two of his own men. "It's not your fault, Sid, none of this is."

Once again he said what she didn't want to hear. Honestly, she didn't know what she wanted to hear from anyone. Was it her fault or wasn't it? Rajin's stance was pretty clear and that hurt her on some level. She cared about Nihlus and couldn't help but blame herself for the error in judgement that sent him off on that planet alone. She put all her weight into a violent shove into Nov's chest making him stagger backward a few steps.

Nov had enough of this. This wasn't Sidda. "Alright, fuck this, get over here." He ordered and his tone surprised her a little, she didn't know why after taking her rage out on him.

"What?" she growled in a tone of 'how dare you take that tone with me'.

He pointed to the center track in the cargo bay that clear and flat. "Get over here or I'm gonna drag you over here myself." He snapped sternly making her realize that he wasn't playing.

"I am not in the mood for your games, Cal." She hissed and Nov growled, he stormed over to her and roughly snatched her left wrist doing exactly what he said he'd do.

"This is not a fucking game." He growled and yanked her along into the middle of the cargo bay.

Sidda struggled against his grip, Nov would never hurt her but she honestly wasn't sure what he was doing. "Let me go, Cal." She barked.

"No." he barked back. "Not until you start acting like the Sidda I know." Sidda's temper spiked and she swung at Nov. He released her arm and blocked the strike easily and took Sidda down hard on her back. She grunted as she felt the impact in her head and shoulders. "You need to start acting like the leader you are or Saren is going to beat you." He snapped in her face and Sidda flared her biotics to knock him back and toss him off of her.

"I'm gonna put Saren in the fucking grave." She growled and got to her feet quickly as Nov recovered. He stalked toward her and got inches from her face. She was a stubborn woman and the angry wallowing was pissing him off.

"Then do it!" he yelled. "Let Nihlus go and do your fucking job!"

She ground her teeth and shoved him back sharply. "Let Nihlus go? He died because of me."

Nov mirrored her aggressive posture. "What happened to him was not your fault."

"It was my fault, I was in command…I should never have let him go alone."

"No, you shouldn't have, but you can't control everything, you know that and so did he."

"Don't you dare blame Nihlus!" she roared.

"I'm not but he knew the risks and accepted them. Things happen, Sid, let it go."

"Let it go?" she questioned barely tempering her furious tone. "You're one to talk…have you gotten over Zek and Tobius?"

That was below the belt, relevant or not and his own temper flared. He gave Sidda a solid punch to her already bruised mouth. "That's different and you know that." He growled. "I killed them by my own hand…last I checked you didn't shoot Nihlus in the back of the head." Sidda tasted the blood filling her mouth and closed her eyes to the familiar pain. That was meant to hurt her. She wiped the blood from the reopened wound from Rajin and her gaze narrowed to him as if marking her target. "Come on, Sid, take it out on me." He said quietly.

As they clashed together Ashley took a step to go a stop this but found Cerrus' arm blocking her. She shoved the Turian's and away with an evil glare. "Get your hand away from me."

Cerrus let the snarky humans tone go. "Leave them be." He said and she sneered to him.

"That may be how Turians do it but I'm not going to let him try to beat on her." She stated in a condescending tone.

"Just leave them alone. He won't hurt her." He assured as Nov blocked Sidda's enraged attacked. "He never would."

She was normally more precise; this made it easier for Nov to see her attacks coming and block them. That didn't mean this was one sided, enraged and inaccurate or not she was still holding her own against him. He was making sure that he didn't hit too hard or hurt her…that was not the intention. He blocked a right hook and found she had left her left side open for a counter and he punched her low on the ribcage. Sidda dropped to one knee with a cry of pain putting her left hand over the tender ribs that couldn't catch a single break.

The cry of pain was real and he worried he actually hurt her. "Sid-…" he began and she muster the last defiance she had taking another swing at him. He caught it and trapped her arm behind her back pulling her into what looked like a hug. He had both of her hands trapped behind her back and looked down at her find her rage filled hazel eyes staring back at him. "That's enough, that's enough." He said quietly loud enough for only her to hear. Her anger fizzled as the rage finally met an outlet when she'd erupted on him…next to Victus he was the last person she wanted to see her like this. "Calm down."

"Cal, I-…" she began as he let go of her arms and she felt him clasp his hands together holding her in a close hug.

"Shh…it's okay." He cooed and saw the crowd start to disburse, receiving ire from Ashley as she was herded out of the cargo bay by Cerrus. He felt her hands come under his and grip the back of his tunic as she buried her face in his chest knowing what was coming. He got the rage now it was time for the guilt, he heard her begin to sob and then scream into his chest. He said nothing and just stayed as the outlet for her, he'd done this before with Shala but this was nothing like that. Sidda needed to move on and if kicking her ass and then letting her cry was how that was going to happen it was fine with that. Victus might kill him but his priority was Sidda. She was the leader, the person tasked with finding Saren and if she was going to do that she needed her head on straight.

* * *

After the blowout in the Cargo Bay things seemed to return to normal but no one had seen or heard from Sidda after she vanished from Nov's presence. She only rematerialized when Joker indicated that they had all the information that they needed and jumped out of the Rothla Field and back to the rendezvous point with the _Lante_. The _Normandy_ didn't dock with the Turian frigate, instead she sat at idle as Sidda gave Cerrus all the gathered information and asked him for his specialty; a plan that wouldn't fail. The ill-tempered Turian was happy to oblige and took over the briefing room to plan the assault on the secret base that was definitely not where it should be. If they crashed a Council base they'd apologize later but all signs pointed to Saren. Where better to hide then right under their nose?

Sidda was unusually quiet as she watched Cerrus work. She knew he had a zillion other things he'd rather be doing right now but she needed him. After the display in the Cargo Bay he figured she was quiet due to embarrassment but the more he observed her the less he figured that was the case.

Cerrus looked up at her and could see that something was really bothering her. "Need something, Commander?" he asked and took a minute to actually look at her. She was still favoring her left side with the sore ribs and her mouth was bruised from the punch by Rajin and then repeated by Nov.

"Can you do this?" she asked and Cerrus straightened. "I mean, really…can you do this?"

For once Cerrus wasn't offended by her question. "Yes." He answered simply.

"Then can you do me a favor?" she began. "I want this base a smoking crater by the time we're done. I want a raging inferno that Saren is going to run from and remember that it was us that did it."

Cerrus looked her up and down and nodded. "One smoking crater…coming right up."

* * *

Sidda quietly walked toward Nov at the Mako. He was helping Garrus set up the Mako for the mission for whenever Cerrus was finished planning the operation. They hadn't really spoken since Nov made his opinion clear about her attitude and took it upon himself to set her straight. She felt embarrassed by her actions and then crying on his shoulder, she'd never live that one down, and worse it was in front of half her team and Cerrus.

"Hey." She greeted and leaned on the Mako watching him work.

"Hey." He replied and kept working.

She heaved a sigh and smiled to him. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier." She stated and he kept working but listened intently to her apologize. "I've been upside down…inside out…I don't know." She continued and Nov kept working. "I'm sorry I took it out on you."

He continued to work but was paying attention to her. "You didn't but someone needed to jar you out of whatever you're in before you got the rest of us killed." He stated. "You're too good of a leader to fall apart like that."

"I just don't know what's what anymore…not since that Prothean download…" she said and he stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. "It wasn't just the random horrific images…it was…it was the emotions too. It was so attached to what happened to Nihlus I can't separate the two anymore."

He dropped the tools he was using and stood up to his full height. He wasn't sorry for what he did but he was sorry if he hurt her in anyway. He looked at her bruised lips and felt sorry for his part in making Rajin's punch worse. "I'm sorry if I hurt you." He said honestly referring to the injury to her ribs that he hadn't known she'd had, if he had known he never would have hit her there.

Sidda shook her head not blaming him for anything. "I've survived worse, Cal, you know that." She stated and Nov chuckled.

He snorted and turned away from her and went back to what he was doing. "If there's one thing we taught you it was how to take a hit." He said and Sidda returned to watching him work.

"You need any help?" she asked and ordinarily Nov would have said no. Unless it was another tech specialist he didn't need the help but since it was Sidda who asked he more than welcomed the help.

"I'll teach you to be a techy yet." He smirked and Sidda giggled, she liked flirting with him it was fun and he always knew how to make her feel better no matter the situation.

She scoffed. "Yeah, good luck with that." She stated. "I'm really good at blowing stuff up, it's much easier."

"It takes a truly talented person to be good at both." He prodded and Sidda chuckled.

"So, tell me about the past year." She said. "I see the shoulder is healed."

Nov reached into the exposed panel and pulled out the interface. "Yep, military docs know their trade; I'm partially synthetic now so go easy on me." He stated. "Taught at the academy for a few months while doing the therapy and more surgeries."

"Oh, God help us, you taught at the military academy?" she asked with a laugh. "How many Nov disciples are there roaming the halls of Turian vessels now?"

"Hey, I am a good teacher." He defended. "Students like me and let's not forget I'm the best."

"Yeah, of course the students like you, you're just like them." She sniped and he chuckled as he activated the Omni-tool to run the checks on the Mako's systems.

"I heard you taught also." He replied and Sidda cocked her head to him. "General told us. What class?"

"Biotic Combat Tactics and Close Quarters Combat." She answered and Nov could see her teaching both those classes, hell, he'd take the class. "You seeing anyone?"

Nov pulled a few disks from the Mako's brain and gestured for her to hand him the tool off the box. "Uhh…sorta…sorta not." He said.

"Gee, that's vague." She replied. "How about a little more details."

He let out a chuckle and answered her question. "No one specific, reconnected with Shala a while back…and one of the doctors on Palaven." He stated and Sidda cackled.

"You're a scoundrel." She snorted and he chuckled.

Nov admitted he was and didn't really care, he liked women and everyone knew that but he'd give it up in a heartbeat for her. "I can't help it if the girls like me." He stated with a chuckle and Sidda shook her head with a laugh.

"You are incredible." She stated and Nov chuckled looking over at her, his eyes lingered on her for a few minutes before taking his eyes away from her. She was incredible, she truly was.

He eyed her and decided to ask a question that he'd wanted to ask since he saw her. "Can I ask you something?" he asked and she grunted a conformation. "Funny thing happened the day you left." he stated as he surveyed the work he was doing to the Mako. Sidda was silent letting him talk. "I discovered that my knife had legs and somehow managed to find its way back to my quarters."

Sidda paused and decided to be honest with him. "I didn't want any issues with Adrien. He was threatened by it so I gave it back."

That wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear no matter how true it was. "Uh huh…" Nov muttered and she narrowed her eyes.

"What?" she asked, not sure how to take his tone.

"Nothing." He replied but she didn't buy it.

Sidda could see he was lying; she saw something a year ago and guessed that he had a crush on her. Seeing Victus so damn bent out of shape was another indicator. She flirted with him heavily and he did the same but to her it seemed harmless, unless it wasn't and she spent all this time leading him on. "Why did you give that to me?" she asked and Nov visibly recoiled from her. "If you knew it was going to spark that kind of reaction, why?"

"It was a gift. That's all." He stated but she still didn't believe him. "You gave it back."

"It's not that simple, Cal…"

"Just drop it, Sid." He cut her off and his tone made her narrow her eyes.

"Cal, come on-…"

"Sidda, I don't want to talk about this." He said in a sterner tone. He wanted nothing more than to tell her everything but it really wasn't in him to try to steal another man's woman. As much as that pained him he'd suffer in silence until something changed.

"Talk about what? Cal, what is wrong."

His temper flared and he turned on her getting inches from her face. "Just leave it alone!" he roared. He immediately regretted his tone and sheepishly backed off. "I'm sorry." He said ducking his head away embarrassed by his outburst. "I didn't mean to yell."

Roaring outbursts seemed to be contagious on this ship today. "Cal," she began and he read her mind knowing she was going to push him for more. "please…just-…"

"Sid…stop." She stated and locked eyes with her. Telling her three simple words would cure most of his problems but he couldn't do it. He couldn't adequately explain why but he just couldn't do it no matter how much he wanted to. There was a moment, a few seconds that felt like an eternity when his feelings actually won and decided to tell her. "Sid, I-…"

"Commander," Kaidan called interrupting Nov who let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Capt. Cerrus is ready."

Nov steeled himself and brushed past them both. "Perfect timing, Lieutenant." He stated heaving a heavy sigh on the way by.

* * *

Assembled in the Cargo Bay was Sidda's entire drop team, including Cerrus and Nov. Everyone was suited up for combat and toting their favored load outs. Sidda checked Vidinos' pistol and returned it to its place as the pre-mission brief began. The lengthy one had already taken place in the briefing room; this one was assignments and teams.

"Okay, so we're dropping in the Mako, all hands on deck. Now to do this and not be detected by the base or the CDEM we're going to have to drop in a…let's just say a wild trajectory." Sidda stated as Garrus and Ashley looked at each other both feeling their stomachs turning already.

"Because this base is trying to stay hidden under the nose of the Council there are no obvious signs on the ground. No signs of Comm towers, sensor towers, nothing so our approach should go undetected. Once the teams are inside find the main computer and plug in, we need data. We need to know what this base is and why it's there. Any information we can find on Saren is gold, the Conduit, Reapers, Geth, plans, anything get it." Cerrus added and Sidda nodded in agreement. Nov added this to the handful of times these two agreed on anything.

"We're dropping into an asteroid field?" Ashley confirmed sounding a little concerned and Sidda nodded. "Who's idea was that?"

"Mine." Cerrus answered simply.

"What are you crazy?" Ashley challenged and Cerrus straightened a little eying her.

Nov looked from them to Sidda and then back down to Ashley. "Yeah, he probably is." Nov stated and could hear Cerrus grumble about his comment.

Sidda was done with the interruption. "It's what we're doing, Chief. Now, if you have visual contact on Saren you shoot to kill, if you bring him in wounded that's great…dead is just as good." Sidda continued and made sure that she made that clear. "Teams are as follows: Wrex, you take Kaidan and Liara. Garrus and Nov will be with me. Cerrus, you take Tali and the Chief."

"I am not taking orders from a Turian." Ashley snapped harshly. "It's bad enough I have to listen to Vakarian and Wrex, I'm not gonn-…"

"Hey, can it!" Sidda barked. "You do as I say or you get left behind. Stow the attitude and follow my orders and his." She stated firmly pointing to Cerrus.

Ashley grumbled and nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Alright, get your gear ready and lets go." She stated and turned away from them.

Nov looked from Ashley to Cerrus then turned to hover over Sidda's shoulder tapping her shoulder armor with one finger making her look at him. "What's her issue?" he asked gesturing to Ashley, she and Garrus bickered over who was going to drive since they agreed that Sidda should never be behind the controls of that tank.

Sidda sighed and straightened her armor. "Her grandfather was the garrison commander at Shanxi during 314." She stated simply and Nov raised his brow plates.

"Oh this'll be good." He laughed and Sidda's brow furrowed. "What?" he asked. "You know about Cerrus right?"

"Know what? The man's more likely to shoot me than speak to me." She replied. She liked this, having Nov around her made her comfortable. It hurt like hell to get to this point but she understood why he did what he did.

"He told you about his mate." Nov reminded and she remembered his confession and then him using her as someone to talk to. Both events were downright strange. "What's the big deal?"

"Tyr's dad was killed on Shanxi." Nov stated bluntly and it was Sidda's turn to raise her eyebrows as she looked over to them getting filing into the Mako.

"Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun." She agreed. "No wonder he hates humans."

Nov chuckled. "Sure you don't want to stay behind?" he asked and she gave him a sardonic glare.

"And let you run the show?" she asked with a chuckle.

Nov gave her a mock hurt expression. "Hello, Argo Unit Commander."

"Get in the Tank." She droned and Nov chuckled as he moved along.

The Mako had a maximum seating capacity of 10 but with everyone in their full armor and Wrex and everyone armed to the teeth things got a little cramped.

"Gonna be tight." She commented as she squeezed into the seat between Nov and Cerrus. Even clad in armor Nov still took the time to check out her ass as she fit it between him and Cerrus. He shifted his gears and found someone else to shine to.

"Well, Tali can sit on my lap." Nov flirted with the little Quarian, who was fitting her tiny frame between Wrex and the bulkhead across from the notorious flirt.

Tali paused before sitting down completely, despite his obvious sexual innuendo. Nov could see some subtle features under the purple mask. Quarian females always peaked his interest; it was the mystery of what was under the helmet. "No. Thank you."

"Don't know what you're missing." He continued and Sidda shook her head to Nov's constant flirting, she even heard a snort from Cerrus to her left.

"We are about to be dropped out of a ship, into a planetary debris field to make a controlled crash onto what's left of a planet to a secret base and you still have time to proposition a girl." Sidda stated in sheer awe of his appetite for flirting.

"That's because he thinks he might not get another chance." Cerrus chimed in; he knew Nov well and could accurately say he knew his MO.

"Well, if you're scared, you can sit on my lap, Princess." Wrex needled, aiming his comment at Nov.

Nov cocked his head; Krogans with a decent sense of humor were few and far between. He cleared his throat and batted his eyes at the battlemaster. "For a Krogan you are quite handsome…with the scars and all but I think I'll pass…but thank you for the offer."

Sidda's row of Cerrus and Kaidan failed to stifle laughs, herself included as Liara looked on not sure how to deal with the sniping going back and forth.

"Ha!" Wrex laughed. "Now, I'm friends with two Turians who think their funny."

"I could switch seats if you two want to sit together." Tali assed and Nov laughed with the rest of them.

"Next mission, Wrex, I promise." Nov stated in his best feminine tone.

Sidda was surprised to the friendly bantering that was going back and forth, it helped that Nov was easy to get along with but she really didn't expect to see Turians and Krogans to be getting along.

"Chief, how are we doing?" Sidda called.

"Pre drop complete. Good to go." She replied.

"Weapons are good, Commander." Garrus added after checking the main gun.

"Alright, get me Joker." She ordered and Ashley opened the Mako's comm. "Joker, it's Shep, how's it look?"

"It's a debris field, Commander, it looks like shit. I think I've gotten out of the way from the big ones…should be clear enough for you."

Everyone else heard the 'think' and 'should' and wore the same expression she had. "What do you mean 'should', Joker?"

"Well, if I'm wrong and you collide with a giant asteroid you won't be able to yell at me." Joker replied and Sidda dropped her head with a groan.

"And who's idea was this?" she asked rhetorically.

"His." Liara answered pointing to Cerrus and Sidda shook her head.

"Alright, Joker, stand by to drop." She ordered. "Helmets on."

The Mako shook as the ramp dropped and the tank rolled forward. "Yep, because that's gonna help us when we're splattered all over a rock face." Ashley muttered donning her helmet as the Mako launched from the cargo bay.


	6. Chapter 6: The Mako Drop

_Authors Note: My, my I am on a roll. spectreofslytherin: If you like Cerrus you will love this. :) Mija002: I'll just have to make Cerrus your guy now since I bumped off your last one. Ipander: again, thank you, thank, thank you, for all the encouragement. I'm really glad you like this._

_Thank you to everyone for the favorites and follows._

_Without further ado, I give you Chapter 6: The Mako Drop_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Six: The Mako Drop**

The Mako vibrated as it free fell through the Rothla Debris Field. Ashley and Garrus were busy monitoring the controls as the Tank neared its target. It was a nerve racking job hoping that the Mako didn't get hit by a moonlet and make them a part of this debris field.

Sidda could hear the hull being pelted by the smaller pieces of planetary debris and hoped that the Mako's construction was all that it was cracked up to be. At one point it sounded like a hail storm and every time something hit the hull Sidda looked around praying the tank's skin would hold.

Helmet on and all Nov could sense Sidda's nerves. "You gonna be alright, Sid?" Nov asked.

"Yep. Yeah. Perfect." She replied and he chuckled, hearing the unease in her voice.

"It'll be okay." He said. "I hear they build these things tough." As he said that a loud bang was heard above them near the area of the main gun. The impact was big enough to make the entire Mako shake. Everyone fell silent and looked up and it was Nov's turn to worry. "But I could be wrong."

"Chief?" Sidda questioned.

"We're good, Skipper." She threw back quickly but kept her eyes on the HUD…it wasn't really going to do much good if something was in the way. Sure, Garrus could shoot at it but the Mako was in a freefall with nearly zero maneuverability.

"Seriously, only you would suggest a drop like this." Sidda hissed to Cerrus who rolled his eyes under the helmet.

Yes, he admitted, this was one of his crazier ideas but in his mind there wasn't much they could do about right now. "We've been through this, Shepard; the _Normandy_ was too big and too big of a risk."

"It's still crazy." She stated.

"What do you want to do? Get out?" Cerrus fired back.

"300 meters." Garrus informed as the flying tank continued to drop like a rock. "200."

"Firing thrusters."

Liara groaned. "Oh, I hate this part." She whined.

Liara wasn't the only one who was not happy. "Oh..." Tali moaned. "me too."

The Mako felt like it hit a wall as the thrusters fired. The ride smoothed some as the tank slowed down and Ashley fired the thrusters again. "100." Garrus continued counting down.

"Brace!" Ashley announced as Garrus passed the 50 meter mark.

Everything about this Mako drop was standard with the exception of falling through a planetary debris field…that was new. Only Cerrus would be crazy enough to suggest a drop like this, honestly, the odds of not being blown to bits right now was slimmer than none.

The Mako hit the surface as it was designed to and sped forward seemingly uncontrolled until Ashley could gain control of it. The Mako careened forward for a couple hundred more feet until it came to sharp stop. Ashley took a moment and looked over at Garrus and let out a breath. Everyone in the Mako was jostled as usual but fine.

"Nice job, Chief." Sidda praised. "Damage?"

There was a pause as Ashley and Garrus checked the systems of their baby. "Minor damage to the main gun, all systems functional though." Garrus reported.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road." She stated and Ashley spun the Mako around in a tight 180 and sped toward the waypoint.

* * *

The approach to the base was as uneventful as it could have been; it was a little eerie actually. If this was a base of Saren's and he was working with the Geth there had to be Geth around here but they didn't know if this was an evil Saren base. This could be a Council base but the odds of that were pretty bad. As if on cue after Sidda's thought that this was easier than expected they stumbled onto what they had found on Therum. Geth sentry's began appearing the closer they got to the destination. It wasn't a problem for the crack Mako operation team. Ashley and Garrus may not have been best friends but they were a decent team when the Mako was involved.

The resistance was moderate but easily taken care of. The worry was that the sentries would alert the base, at least one question was answered: this wasn't a Council base unless the Council now employed Geth. Ashley didn't slow down, Garrus cleared as many Geth as he could and she kept speeding toward the base.

After another minute of driving at top speed the base came into sight along with about the five missile turrets. Ashley and Garrus cursed at the same time, one in English and a Turian curse that the translators didn't even bother to translate.

Barrages of rockets were flung at the Mako as Ashley out ran a few of them, jumped another, and took a hit on the left side. Garrus shot back immediately and the powerful gun of the Mako obliterated one of the turrets. "Four more to go."

Garrus grumbled, he could count and didn't need her to do it for him. He just kept making as precise a shot as he could with the giant gun attached to the Mako.

Nov groaned. "Where did this woman learn to drive?" he asked as Ashley spun the Mako around in a tight circle to avoid a missile.

"Believe me, Shepard's worse." Liara stated.

Sidda's glare under her helmet could have killed someone as she glowered to the Asari. "You all are still alive. One more word about it and I shoot who opened their mouth." Nov chuckled and she also heard a few other chuckles that garnered more glaring from Sidda.

"Sid, you can still talk with your mouth closed." Nov put in and Sidda thought of a dozen ways to flay him.

"Cal!" she barked but her tone was lost in the laughter from Wrex and Kaidan.

After about three more minutes of wild evasive maneuvers and shooting from Garrus they finally eliminated the turrets and Ashley stopped the Mako. Sidda got out of the seat and headed up to the front to get a look at the base. "Okay…" Ashley began. "now what?"

"Get us closer." She stated and turned to the crew. "Alright, everyone out, let's go."

Leaving out the fact that there was a base that they were about to assault Sidda looked up and found the sky the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. What was left of Rothla swirled around the lump that was left after the explosion ripped it apart. Through all the dust and debris you could see a few starts and it was actually quite beautiful. "Wow." She stated blinking a few times.

"Sid, come on." Nov called and she looked from the sky and back to him before walking toward him and the rest.

Nov looked up at the sky and saw what she was looking at as she passed him and he activated his Omni-tool quickly capturing an image of the skyline then headed toward the entrance that the turrets were protecting. "Alright, which one of you techies wants to get us into this joint?" she asked and the ones labeled 'techies' looked at each other.

"Don't everyone jump on it at once." Tali stated and stepped up to the panel. The Quarian was good at what she did, having her along was the best thing Sidda could have next to Nov. The door went from secured to unsecure within a minute of her attacking it.

"Gorgeous Quarians first." Nov flirted and Kaidan sorted.

"You don't quit do you?" Kaidan remarked causing a few others to chuckle. Tali blushed but thankfully the helmet masked it.

"No until I get what I want." Nov replied and had his eyes on Sidda when he said that but his helmet hid that. Thanks to the helmet he could look at Sidda all he wanted and no one would know. He realized how strange that sounded and knew that if Victus knew he'd probably be killed; Victus would probably kill him for half the things he was thinking anyway.

"Alright, remember, you see Saren shoot to kill otherwise gather intel and destroy the base if we c-…" Sidda said but an explosion near the Mako ended her sentence.

"More Geth!" Tali shouted but that was fairly obvious with an army of Armatures, foot soldiers, and a few Colossus' that seemed to spring up from nowhere heading toward their location.

"Oh son of a bitch." She cursed and saw the blue glow of a Colossus plasma cannon.

"Shit! Move!" Nov cursed as they dodged a plasma blast from the Colossus.

It occurred to Sidda that the Mako was between them and Geth and that was not a good thing. "If they get the Mako we're screwed, Shepard." Kaidan stated taking the thought right out of her brain.

Sidda grumbled. "Garrus, Cal, you're with me." She said. "Cerrus, Wrex, you guys go complete the mission we'll hold the Mako."

Cerrus didn't question the shake up and nodded and Wrex didn't say anything either as they lead their teams inside the base that Tali'd sprung open for them.

Another blast hit dangerously close to the Mako sending bits of rocks and debris flying. The instinctual act of shielding her face with her hands was a bit moot considering the helmet but Sidda did it anyway. The Geth foot soldiers were in a sprint heading toward them as the three of them spied the obvious glow for not one but two Colossuses. They fired and the Mako took one hit as the other was aimed at Sidda, Nov, and Garrus. They scrambled out of the way but the impact was a little closer than any of them would like.

"Oh…shit…" Sidda stated looking at the number of Geth that were closing in.

The two Turians shared the same sentiment. "Mako?" Nov questioned.

"Mako." Garrus agreed as they bolted to the tank to move it before it took too many hits and became totally useless.

Nov got there first and practically catapulted into the driver's seat. Sidda was next then Garrus and when she saw Nov at the controls she hovered over his shoulder. "Do you even know how to drive this thing?" she asked as he flipped a few controls.

"How hard can it be?" he answered and a plasma burst hit the Mako. "Sit down." Nov pressed the controls and the Mako lurched forward sharply. "There's plenty to shoot at out there Garrus, get on it."

"Really, I hadn't noticed." Garrus snipped in return.

* * *

Wrex was surprisingly more compliant than most Krogans Cerrus noted. He may have had an attitude with him but when it came down to it, the scarred battlemaster was a team player. That was more than he could say of any other Krogan he'd ever met. Kaidan was a good soldier as far as he'd seen and a biotic but a little more palatable than Sidda. Liara was timid but intelligent and her biotics were very impressive but her combat skills were lacking, he actually expected that from a scientist. Tali…he liked Tali. The little Quarian actually made him laugh with her shyness and awkward behavior. He'd dealt with Quarians before and found them easier to deal with than most other species in the galaxy. As for Ashley, he still didn't know what to make of her but at least he could say he firmly knew where he stood with her. She didn't like him, that much was obvious.

Cerrus took point as the two teams made their way into the base. So far it was quiet and he found that strange. They reached a T junction and it too was clear, that made all of them a little uncomfortable. Cerrus sighed and looked to Wrex. "Take your team that way. We'll go this way." He ordered and Wrex grunted a response.

Cerrus took point as his team moved through the base. To Ashley it looked like the usual hidden bases on the various planets they went to. It wasn't that big and looked like it was more of a mobile base than and permanent one. They reached a console and Tali stepped forward to check and see if it was an access point to the main computer. They paused to let her decide if it was significant but they weren't still for a minute when Cerrus caught movement and spied a Geth trooper. Cerrus leapt forward and snatched up Tali turning her away from the gunfire. A few shots hit his back but he put a lot of time and effort into his heavy armor so none of the gunfire hurt him at all.

"Chief!" he barked and Ashley was more than happy to save the Turian's ass. Cerrus held the little Quarian tight in his arms; the protector in him made sure that Tali stayed safe. Ashley stopped firing but saw more on the way. "More coming, Cerrus, get your ass up."

Cerrus ignored Ashley's tone and stood looking down at Tali. "You okay?" he asked and Tali nodded.

"Yeah…" he stated. "yeah, I'm okay, thank you."

Ashley drew down on more Geth as Cerrus and Tali moved to cover positions and began shooting their way through. "Come on you two, I can do this all by myself but I'd prefer not to."

"Chief, shut up." Cerrus snapped and joined in the shooting match.

* * *

Wrex could hear the firefight coming from somewhere else in the base, the other team must have run into trouble but so far his team hadn't. Outside he could hear the distant thunder from the Mako's main gun so obviously Sidda, Nov, and Garrus were hosting a hell of a party. They were going to run into someone eventually, that much he knew, that was the rule of the galaxy.

Wrex took the lead and followed the hallway until it dead ended at a door that read 'MEDICAL'. The fact that a base that so far had nothing but Geth on it needed a room marked 'medical' was definitely a brain builder. In fighting Saren's goons so far he seemed to have an endless supply of mercs and assassins on staff so it was possible the medical bay was for them.

Kaidan bypassed the door and it opened with ease as both Wrex and Liara were primed for anything that came through the door. It was plainly obvious that this wasn't a garden variety medical bay as soon as the door opened. It was empty too and that was a little disconcerting.

There were exam tables and the usual stuff but the unusual stuff were the enormous upright tanks that lined either side. "What are all these tanks for?" Kaidan asked as Liara stopped to examine one of the consoles.

"Ummm…I'm not sure…" Liara stated. "They look like gestation tanks."

"What do they need with gestation tanks?" Kaidan asked and Wrex grumbled. He really didn't care about that answer; he was there to complete the mission.

Liara moved over to what was obviously the medical computer and found it encrypted. "Lieutenant." She called to Kaidan. "I think we need to see what's on here. I could be very important."

Kaidan agreed and jogged over to quickly start working. Wrex kept walking and found another door. "Another door here." Wrex stated and Liara actually volunteered to help him clear it. Kaidan's Omni-tool lit up as it began to hack the computer's security. Wrex opened the door and Liara immediately flattened against the wall seeing a Krogan merc on the other side with several Geth.

"Geth!" she warned quickly. "And a Krogan."

* * *

Nov and the Mako did their best to occupy the Geth contingent. Garrus counted about 100 Geth of varying models running about shooting at them. Flattening the smaller ones under the six wheeled tank made things a bit easier but it was much harder to take out the Colossus and the smaller, but just as powerful, Armatures.

Despite Nov's evasive maneuvers the Mako had already been hit several times. "Hey, Vakarian, you want to actually hit something with that gun? Maybe if we get rid of some bad guys we might take less hits." Nov sniped as he pulled the Mako into a tight 180 that all three of their stomachs felt.

"If you'd keep it steady for longer than five seconds I might be able to hit something." He replied as he finally got a clear shot of the Colossus that was shooting at them.

"I hold still for the 'King of the snipers' to get the perfect shot we're going to be a crater." Nov fired back and Garrus finally was able to line up the shot on the Colossus that was pestering them. As he fired the Colossus fired also and the blast impacted the Mako's right front side. That side's armor had taken a several hits and was basically gone so when the blast hit several systems inside exploded and half the Mako went dark.

"Fuck." Nov cursed. "Primary systems took a hit, switching to back up." He announced and sped the Mako to a whatever cover he could find. "Sid!"

Sidda pressed a few buttons on the repair console and quickly deduced that this was far beyond her. "Cal, I can't fix this."

The Mako skidded to a stop behind a stand of rocks, not very big but it was enough to make the slow moving Colossuses and Armatures have to reposition.

"Fine, you drive, I'll do it." He said and they two started to switch places.

"No. Do not let her drive this thing." Garrus stated sharply. "I'll fix it."

"Oh, Garrus, not now." Sidda spit back.

"That bad of driver, huh, doesn't even want you to drive it in a pinch." Nov commented as he reset some control while Garrus shifted over to the Engineering console and Sidda took over the gunner seat.

"Cal, shut up." She snipped and the Turian chuckled.

"Last time she drove this thing she nearly broke the front axle." Garrus stated and Nov laughed.

"On a Mako, that's hard to do…even in the Turian military these things are legendary." He replied and Sidda shook her head grumbling while she kept an eye out for the bad guys. "Do you two comedians mind?"

About a minute passed as the Mako was still stationary. Garrus was working fast on bypassing the systems that got fried by the plasma blast but now even Nov was getting a little nervous. Sidda kept her eyes on the targeting screen panning the main gun around making sure they stayed clear.

"How's it looking, Sid?" Nov asked and she snorted.

"Looks like a lot of Geth, Garrus are we going to get this thing moving sometime soon?" she asked and Garrus shrugged off the nagging, he could work under pressure.

* * *

Cerrus and his team continued running into resistance, Geth were pouring out of every single nook and cranny. The volume of Geth told Cerrus that something worth protecting was back here. Ashley and Cerrus had the same work ethic when it came to a firefight; they pushed forward as soon as they found the ground. Finally the last Geth fell and they found what they were protecting. It was a midsized room that had servers lining the wall.

"Jackpot." Ashley stated and Cerrus agreed but not out loud.

"Check the room." He ordered and Ashley glowered over to him but the Chief did as asked.

Tali left Cerrus' side and bounded over to the center console, it was obviously a control center of some kind and Tali looked over the console as Cerrus and Ashley finished clearing the room they just shot their way into. "Okay, this is it. This is it. This is what we need." Tali stated and started working on it. "It's encrypted…and it's going to take some time."

The mission was collecting data so if Tali deemed this worthy then they had to stay as long as needed to capture it. "How long?" he asked looking over her shoulder.

"Umm…" she replied and Cerrus took that as an open ended question.

"Rooms clear, front and rear door." Ashley announced and Cerrus heard her but was busy with Tali's lack of answer.

He nodded sharply to her lack of answer. "Okay…" he stated and headed toward Ashley. "Chief, we hold here. Cover the front."

"Are you kidding me? We're gonna get swarmed." Ashley stated she was right they were going to attract a million Geth and Mercs.

"The mission in the information, Chief, so do it. Cover the damn door." Cerrus scolded and moved on past the human who was pissing him off. "Wrex, status?"

"_We're in the middle of something right now."_ The Krogan responded.

Cerrus could hear the gunfire over the comm and somewhere off in the distance. He sighed hiding the grumble and knew what they needed to do. He checked his Crossfire and camped at the rear door. "Tali, fast _is_ better." He said with a sigh.

* * *

Wrex and Liara apparently happened into either a barracks or a security station or something that required a bunch of people. There were a few Geth, about a dozen mercs, and one Krogan the same size as Wrex. Kaidan left his hack to its work and moved up to help Wrex and Liara. Liara threw a grenade into the room and Wrex followed suit rather impressed with the Asari's new found military skills.

"No way we're gonna breach this." Kaidan stated as he traded places with Liara. "They're dug in."

Wrex agreed with a grunt and Kaidan thought a moment before pulling the pack of explosives that Cerrus had given him. To fulfill his promise to Sidda Cerrus brought along an explosive from Ruvvak. It looked like six skinny grenades stuck together that could either be used as one big bomb or several smaller ones that packed just as big a punch. Ruvvak called it a High Energy Fusion explosive and it meant business.

"We'll see how they like this." Kaidan stated and Wrex chuckled.

"I like it." He stated as Kaidan pulled one of the sections and armed it before tossing it into the room like he was throwing a Frisbee. The explosion that went off was bigger than Kaidan thought it would be and it shook the base itself.

All the noise around them disappeared and the area they were in fell eerily quiet. Kaidan raised his eyebrows to the explosion and looked to Wrex and then to Liara. "Wow." Liara stated.

"I'll give it to the Turian…he doesn't skimp on the explosives." Wrex stated and Kaidan agreed as Wrex rounded the corner to see the damage. Nothing was left in the room, things were burning and melted, but best of all there were no enemies around.

"Remind me to thank Capt. Cerrus." Kaidan stated as they surveyed the room.

* * *

The targeted Colossus exploded from a particularly great direct hit from the Mako's main gun. Garrus was still in the process of repairing the systems in the Mako but he'd fixed it well enough to get moving again.

"Nice shot, Sid, two big ones left." Nov stated as the Mako was hit again by a rocket from one of the destroyers.

"Direct hit to the center axle." Garrus reported. "We lost that wheel."

"Its fine, we got five more." Nov said and the Mako was hit again by the same destroyer only this time to the main gun causing some systems to explode next to her head. "Come on, Sid, will you shoot that bastard."

"There's 20 other bad guys out there, Cal, I can't hit all of them at once." She snapped back and Nov conceded to her.

"Alright, alright, alright, two Colossus I'm going right down the middle take your pick." Nov stated but Sidda was trying to track the Destroyer that kept pestering her.

"No, Cal, the Destroyer we need to get him or he's gonna pick us apart." She stated and Nov ignored it.

"Cal." She warned and he yanked the Mako into a hard 90 degree right turn.

"You ready?" he asked and she cursed.

"No." she answered.

"Yes." He replied.

"No." she barked back panning around hunting for the rocket toting Destroyer that was killing them with bug bites.

"Will you just shoot the damn Colossus, woman." He snapped and she ground her teeth.

"I'm gonna shoot you if you say that again, Callus." She hissed and lined up on the Colossus on the right.

* * *

Tali was still working on hacking the main computer but it was harder than she thought. Cerrus and Ashley were covering the two doors and just as Ashley predicted they were being swarmed by Geth. The wave that was coming at Cerrus ended and he closed the rear entrance and stuck a proximity grenade to the door to cover it and scrambled back to help Ashley. When he turned he saw Ashley get flattened by a Geth Trooper that rushed her. He fired instantly, catching it right through the light blowing its head right off its shoulder. "Tali, hurry up."

Ashley scooted backward quickly and felt a hand grab the back of her armor and pull her to her feet. Under the helmet the Geth managed to bloody her nose and mouth but she shook it off. "Get up, Chief," she heard him say and shot the Turian a look as he threw a grenade into the hall giving them a moment to collect.

"Get off me." She snarled and Cerrus was more than happy to. She was bitchy but determined.

"Almost there." Tali stated.

Cerrus didn't bother asking Ashley if she was okay, he figured that would piss her off further. "Tali, we don't have all day."

Tali nodded to that. "I know, I know. I'm working on it." She stated and tapped a few buttons as Cerrus and Ashley guarded the door. In the distance they heard a good size explosion that made Cerrus look down at Ashley.

"That was one of mine." He stated and Ashley agreed, no grenade was that big. "Wrex, status?"

"_We're clear here."_ He replied and there was paused. _"Had to use one of those big explosives."_

"Captain, I got it. We have what we need." Tali announced.

Cerrus heard and ignored the fact that they had to use one of the explosives. "Grab everything you can, Tali." He stated and then returned his attention back to Wrex on the comm. "Wrex, we're done…let's go."

Tali uploaded all the data she could onto the OSDs as Cerrus moved around the room. "Okay, I'm done." Tali stated and headed toward Ashley to leave but Cerrus was still busy with something else.

"What are you doing?" Ashley asked as Cerrus took explosives out of the pack he had strapped to his right thigh.

"I promised Shepard a smoking crater and I aim to deliver." He stated and he planted the explosive on as many surfaces as he could find. The fusion explosives were small but more than powerful enough to bring down this entire facility. "Lt. Alenko, did you plant the explosives?" he asked over the comm.

"_All set and ready, Captain."_ He replied and Cerrus was satisfied with that.

"Let's go, let's go." He stated and the two teams met up as they made their way back to the surface. "Commander, we're coming out, mission complete, no sign of Saren."

* * *

Sidda heard the extraction call and Nov yanked the Mako into a hard left, with all the bickering that was going on inside the tank they had done really well eliminating the endless sea of mechs that had arrived. But the team successfully took down at least four Colossus mechs and as many Armatures, the Mako also flattened a considerable number of foot soldiers including the Destroyer that'd been hell bent on destroying them with a damn rocket launcher.

"Looks like a junk yard out here." Ashley stated being the first to climb in followed by Liara, Wrex, Tali, Kaidan, and finally Cerrus. "You guys have fun?"

"Oh yeah, yep, it was a picnic." She stated as the soldier removed her helmet and saw the blood all over Ashley's face. "Are you alright?"

Ashley nodded as Kaidan tended to her wounds. Cerrus eyed Ashley before looking to Sidda, the solider took a solid pop that was hard enough to reach her under her armor and she got up and kept on going.

"Nov, 500 meters." Cerrus called and the Mako sped forward and Sidda looked to Cerrus with a curious expression hidden under her helmet but he could see it no matter what. "Commander." He said tossing her the detonator. Sidda caught it and looked down at it, Cerrus came through, as in he really came through, he collected the data and he rigged the place to explode. "As promised."

Nov piloted the Mako out to beyond the 500 meter mark that Cerrus had told him. "That's 500." He announced and tapped the Mako's comm. "_Normandy_, ready for pick up."

Sidda looked from Cerrus to the detonator and felt a wave of satisfaction as she pressed the button. Saren obviously wasn't there but it still felt like a victory to turn one of his bases into a smoking ruin. She looked to Cerrus with a slight nod that he returned in kind. Once again Cerrus came through, he may not have liked her but she could definitely count on him.

* * *

The _Normandy _materialized from nowhere as its jump was complete. The stealth system was worth its weight in gold for that mission as there was no indication at all that CDEM knew they were there…that is until the explosion on the giant moonlet's surface, but even then the ship got away without being seen. Joker piloted the hybrid vessel toward its larger counterpart the _Lante_, who was holding position at designated coordinates.

The Briefing Room was the site of the post mission debriefing. Sidda needed to talk to the Council but she didn't want to do that just yet. According to Kaidan, the Medical computer had been wiped but the main computer hadn't.

"Did you guys find anything else?" Sidda asked referring to the information.

"Nothing in Medical, I believe the computers were set to be deleted once they were tampered with." Liara stated.

"Why wipe the Medical computer and leave the main computer alone?" Sidda asked and Liara shrugged flustered that she didn't have an answer. "Have you gone through the data from the main computer yet?" Sidda asked shifting her attention to Tali.

"No, not yet." Tali replied and Sidda figured that would be her answer. They only just got the information and hadn't had a chance to go through it.

"Okay, you and Liara start pouring thorough it. Let me know if you find anything interesting." She stated and Joker interrupted the debriefing.

"_Commander, the Council's on the line again."_ He stated and Sidda sighed.

"Tell them I'll call them later." She replied and Joker lingered on the comm.

"_Commander, they are really persistent and sound really pissed."_ He added and Sidda snorted shaking her head.

"Tell them I will call them back." She said again and smiled while shaking her head. The Council was going to rip her a new one for this.

"I do not envy you right now, Sid." Nov stated and she scoffed.

"Gonna be the shortest stint a Spectre's ever done." She chuckled knowing that violating the CDEM, entering the Rothla Field and not telling the Council was about as bad as she could do, but she honestly couldn't wait to tell them that their star Spectre had a secret base hidden right under their nose. "Anything else?" she asked and they shook their heads.

"Not yet, but we'll let you know when we find something." Kaidan stated.

She heaved a sigh and heard the tell-tale chirp from the intercom. _"Hey, Commander…they're back."_

Sidda grumbled and waved for them to leave. "Go on guys, you probably don't want to be here to listen to this." She stated. "Joker, go ahead and put them through."

* * *

As expected, the Council was not happy but they really couldn't agree on what they were unhappy about. Sidda was taking this one like a champ; she did fly under the Council and violate a restricted area. Valern, Tevos, and Sparatus were all now squabbling but there was one thing they did agree on: she was in trouble.

"Look, I understand that you're pissed but-…" she began trying to get the heat off her.

"You violated restricted space, went around the quarantine, and blew up a potentially valuable source of intelligence." Sparatus barked.

"All the intel was saved and you will be given a copy but I assure you we could not take the risk." She stated. "If Saren was able to get in under the quarantine then the CDEM garrison at Rothla may be compromised."

"Commander, we will check into the Rothla garrison, and you are to notify us immediately if you uncover any information from the data you collected." Tevos stated but Sparatus was not satisfied.

"You need to remember that you work for the Council, Commander, being a Spectre does not give you the license to do whatever you want, do you understand me?" he scolded and Sidda kept her mouth shut and nodded.

"I would like to know how you came about this information, Commander." Valern stated and Sidda shrugged, she wasn't going to sell out Victus to the Council. "Acquired it from a mercenary."

"Is that so, Commander?" Valern asked sensing that she was hiding something.

"If you'll excuse me, Councilors, I have a lot of data to sort through." She stated and tapped the comm to disconnect and let out a heavy sigh once they were gone.

Victus entered the briefing room and saw Sidda leaning on the console and heard her sigh heavily. "I guess it went well?" he asked announcing himself as he walked up behind her.

"Yeah. It went well…one or two hiccups but Cerrus is a hell of a strategist." She replied with a smile and Victus noticed the change in her attitude. She seemed less angry, perhaps finally being able to strike back at Saren was enough to jog her out of the funk she was in.

"So why don't you look thrilled?" he asked looking down at the short human before him.

"Because the Council is really, really pissed at me, I got lucky and I mean extremely lucky that that wasn't a Council funded base." She stated and sighed again. "I could see Councilor Sparatus fuming from here. And they're all in a tizzy because they think Saren's got some of the CDEM…"

"Busy day for you." He stated with a chuckle making her laugh out loud. He had to admit it was better to see her like this than all pissed off and violent like she was before.

"I guess so." She chuckled. "Desala's information was good, Adrien, thank you." Sidda stated and Victus studied her. "That woman is dangerous."

Victus snorted agreeing with that, when he recruited a spy into his ranks he never imagined what a major resource she would be. "That is very true." He said and turned her back on the console she had been leaning on and pulled him in front of her.

"So you want to hang out for a while?" she asked teasing him.

"Technically I'm not supposed to be here and I gotta get back to my duties before Command notices but I'm not gonna let you go without offering some help. If you want I can let you have one of my people. At least then I know someone I trust is watching your back." Victus stated standing close to her.

"You're worried about me?" she played and Victus didn't see too much humor right now.

"Sidda, Saren's dangerous…extremely dangerous." He stated. "I don't like you going after him."

She smiled sweetly, the concern was flattering. She stroked his left mandible with her hand. "I'll be okay."

She'd fair better than most, he gave her that. "Doesn't mean I have to like it." He replied. "I still want you to take one of my guys."

Sidda nodded. "Okay." She replied. "You wanna come?" she asked, he was her first choice. Although having him onboard would distract her a bit.

Victus snorted as she took her hand away from his face. "As fun as tracking a traitor down sounds, I think Palaven Command would notice I was gone." He stated. "Shall I inform Nov that he'll be spending some time on the _Normandy_?"

Sidda shook her head. "No. Not him." She stated making Victus turn and look at her confused…surprised really. He was certain Nov would be her choice.

* * *

"So let me get this straight: Victus gives you the run of the ship to pick whoever you want to watch your back on this mission and you pick Cerrus?" Nov stated the surprise, shock, and confusion in his voice matched his facial expression. "I think that Beacon broke your brain on the way through."

Sidda eyed him with a sardonic smirk. "I don't need another techy, Cal, I need a tank that can plan anything." She said. "I have a feeling he's not happy."

Nov scoffed. "Ummm…remember Oriso, when you-…" he began but cut his own sentence short by the glare he received from her. "Yeah, he's angrier than that. The whole ship heard his explosion when Victus gave him his orders."

"Terrific." She replied and started to fidget a little as she fiddled with her locker. This job was hard enough without having to war with Cerrus along the way.

"Yeah, I think it came down to take the assignment or Brig time." Nov stated and Sidda could see the journey with Cerrus was not going to be fun. "I'll pretend not to be offended that you didn't invite me." He stated and she chuckled a little.

"It's not a vacation resort, Cal, I'm tracking a traitor." She laughed and he laughed as well.

"Sounds like a vacation to me." He stated as she turned away from him and he could not stop looking at her, she wore the same blue casual uniform she always wore and her hair was the same, she was the same and that's what made her perfect. She didn't change, she was beautiful. "Anywhere with you is a vacation." He added and turned away sharply kicking himself for blurting that out. _"Spirits, get it together, man." _He cursed to himself. He had a moment of weakness earlier and thanked his lucky stars he was interrupted by Kaidan. He glanced over seeing her cheeks brighten a little and grumbled to himself before getting it together. "I'm gonna go, let you get back to tracking your nemesis."

Sidda narrowed her eyes to him, something was up with him and he seemed like he wanted to say something to her. "Hey, Cal," she called as he turned to move away from her thinking about finding a wall to bang his head against. He turned and gave her his full attention. "before the drop…there was something you were going to say, what was it?"

Nov felt his stomach drop. "Uhh…nothing." He stated and it killed him to say that. "It's not important."

Sidda saw his lie and narrowed her eyes as the Turian turned and walked away from her, there was something going on but he wasn't telling her and she had an inkling about what it was. So far getting him to talk about it wasn't getting them anywhere and pushing him didn't work either. She let him go not really sure how to proceed after this.

It'd been about five minutes since Nov left and Sidda was sifting through her locker. "Shepard!" Cerrus' voice barked causing her to stop what she was doing and sigh.

"Oh, here we go." She stated and turned to face him. "Cerrus." She acknowledged as he crossed the rec room with a few long and pissed off strides.

"I have you to thank for this?" he hissed and stood up close to her being as intimidating as possible.

She sighed and looked up at him. "Cerrus, look, I'm sorry I know I shanghaied you-…"

Cerrus didn't have the time or the will to listen to her human slag that he didn't understand. "I don't know that that means." He growled impatiently.

"That's not the point, Cerrus, shut up." She snapped cutting him off sharply and his temper started to bubble up. He had a degree of control but when it came to her his control slipped. She knew all the buttons to push to piss him off and most of the time she didn't even try. "I need your help. That's it. I need your help. I know that this is the last place you want to be and I'm the last person you want to spend all this time with but I need your help." She explained and Cerrus looked down at her. "Saren is smart and he's dangerous but you know what…you're smarter and even more dangerous." Cerrus could honestly say he never expected to hear words like this coming from her. He knew that she respected him to a point but to pass up her bosom buddy, Nov, and ask him said a lot. "Watching Nihlus…ummm…I need you."

Cerrus took a step back from her and looked away quickly. "Okay." He stated simply and picked the bag up that he had dropped when he confronted her. He didn't wait for anything else to be said and made his way down to the cargo bay to stow his gear as he did before. He didn't want to be there but he understood the circumstances. Sidda wanted to avenge a death, something he'd wanted to do for years but had nowhere to aim that anger. She watched him collect his gear and walk away a little confused about how easily he relented but something told her that this endeavor with him was only getting started. He was going to have to deal with everyone onboard including Wrex and Ashley.


	7. Chapter 7: Hades' Dog

_Authors Note: I'm sorry this one took a little longer to get out then expected...I think that rapid fire two parter burned out my brain. _

_I feel like this chapter needs one of those 'previously on' teasers in front of it. This one is a tie in with the ME 1 Cerberus subplot I started in Part One with Proverbial Rabbit Hole and Hellhound. _

_spectreofslytherin: I hope you like this chapter...lots of Cerrus for you. AlienSinger (Mija002): I am so glad that you're still enjoying this after I bumped off your man. Trust me Cerrus and Ashley are just getting started. Ipander: I know you've been waiting with bated breath so here you go, please enjoy._

_Happy reading and as always please keep the feedback coming, questions, comments, its all welcome. Thank you also for the favorites and follows and with out further ado I give you Chapter Seven: Hades' Dog._

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Seven: Hades' Dog**

Saren paced seemingly aimless but he was deep in thought, searching for the Conduit was a slow process when all the information was dead and buried 50,000 years over.

"The station on Rothla has been destroyed." Benezia stated and Saren cocked his head back to her. "The _Normandy_ crew, the same crew from Eden Prime, Cdr. Shepard."

Saren turned slowly to his Asari lieutenant. "How did they find it?" he demanded his tone a low growl that could make any ones skin crawl.

Benezia showed no emotion and stood proud with her hands clasped behind her back. "I don't know." She stated. "We lost the quarantine Garrison as well; the Council pulled them after the base was destroyed."

Saren growled and stalked toward her. "Make contact with the Shadow Broker again and find out how Shepard found about Rothla and kill whoever passed on the information." Benezia nodded to the order but didn't leave. "Have we found the creature?"

"The Thorian? Yes, Feros." Benezia replied.

Saren thought more, he didn't count on Sidda dogging him the whole time, and she could very well undermine him and his plans. Somehow she had a knack for chasing him. After the Council stripped him of his credentials all his files and Nihlus' went to her so she knew everything that he did. Things he covered up and tried to hide she knew. "Go to Noveria. I'll find the creature."

* * *

Sidda could hear an argument taking place in the Cargo Bay as the slowest elevator in existence neared its destination. Cerrus and his team had returned with the Mako a few minutes ago and the _Normandy_ shook as it broke the atmosphere of the inhospitable rock Sidda decided to investigate.

"You are the biggest asshole in the galaxy!" Ashley barked at Cerrus as he fought with his armor to get his helmet off.

He yanked the helmet off and spun on Ashley with a growl. "And you are the worse soldier that I've met, Chief!" he snapped back stepping close to her holding his helmet in one hand and gripping it tight.

"You know…I've met some Turians in my time but none of them as big a jackass as you are." Ashley fired back.

Sidda quietly waited observing the exchange between them and Liara was silent as she passed the two arguing soldiers. "What the hell is going on?" Sidda asked quietly to Liara.

"They've been going at it for the past 15 minutes…I really don't think they like each other." She replied and Sidda snorted.

"That's because they're exactly alike." She stated and stepped toward them, they were so heated into their argument they were oblivious to those around them.

You could never call Cerrus patient, but so far the grouchy Turian had done an admirable job at working with those he hated; human, Krogan, Sidda but he was growing very tired of Ashley. Wrex could at least be a team player when it came down to it, he wasn't the friendliest guy but Cerrus wasn't there to make friends so he didn't care. Ashley, however, resisted him every step of the way for everything, literally _everything_. If Cerrus told her that water was wet she'd argue with him.

Cerrus grabbed the front of Ashley's white and pink Phoenix armor and jerked her sharply toward him. "While we're out there you will damn well follow my orders or I will leave you out there." He growled allowing his temper to show through but also did a fine job of keeping it in check.

Ashley shoved him off her with an equally sharp movement staring him down. "I do not take orders from you!" she barked and Sidda looked from one to the other. "I'll never take orders from a fucking Turian."

Sidda was impressed with Cerrus' restraint, when she first met him all she had to do was look at him wrong and she got her ass handed to her. The Taetrus native had come a long way in regards to his tolerance for Humans but Sidda suspected that his new found patience had a bitter end.

Cerrus snatched the front of her armor again and held on with a harder grip. "You will or I will kill you where you stand." He growled louder but that only served to illicit another outburst from Ashley. She struggled against him but his grip was solid.

"Why wait?" she taunted but he didn't bite and also didn't let her go. "Let me go or-…" she began and he saw her hand go toward the pistol she carried.

Cerrus closed the short gap between them staring down at her. "Or what?!" he barked. "Go ahead and draw it, Chief." There was a pause as he tested her but she didn't move. "Now!" Ashley hesitated and kept her eyes locked in a fierce glare with the huge Turian standing before her. "If you're gonna threaten me, Chief, then you better fucking follow through. Draw the weapon and give it your best shot or follow my orders when I give them."

"Fuck you." She spat and Cerrus had to admit her grit was appealing, she had fire and spirit and had succeeded in pissing him off. "I'm an Alliance solider; I don't take orders from you so get your damn hands off me."

Sidda watched this progress. "That's enough." She intervened and stepped toward them but Cerrus didn't release her. "I said that's enough. Cerrus let her go."

It was hard to decide which the instigator was: Cerrus or Ashley they both appeared to want to knock the crap out of the other. "Get the fuck off me." Ashley hissed as Cerrus obeyed Sidda's order to release her.

"That's enough, Chief." Sidda snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you two? I send you on a mission and you come back like this?"

"_Commander,"_ Joker voice piped through the comm. _"you might want to come to the bridge. Message coming in from the Citadel and it's not the Council."_

Sidda grumbled and looked from Cerrus to Ashley and then focused on Cerrus. "No blood." She warned pointing a finger at him then shifted to Ashley. "No fighting." She stated and walked away. She'd resolve their issues later but now she needed to figure out who was calling her.

* * *

She strode into the Comm room and sighed wondering what great problem was about to surface. Maybe the universe was collapsing in on itself so she could forego hunting Saren's ass from one corner of the Traverse to the other. "Go ahead, Joker."

"Commander," an Alliance man appeared and Sidda straightened seeing the Admiral rank. "my name is Adm. Kahoku. I have a problem and Capt. Anderson told me that you would see to it."

Sidda took a deep breath and clasped her hands behind her back. "What can I do for you, Admiral?" she asked more than happy to help.

"I've lost contact with a Marine division in the Traverse. You are the closest Alliance vessel so I ask you to investigate." He stated and Sidda nodded.

"Of course, Admiral, do you know where they were?" Sidda asked.

"Edolus in the Sparta System, Commander." He replied and Sidda tapped a few keys on the console as they spoke.

Sidda really didn't have time to go chasing after a missing squad but she was Alliance so she'd do all she could to help and Saren could wait. "We're near the system." She stated with a nod. "We'll go there next and check it out."

Kahoku gave her a sharp nod. "Your reputation precedes you, Commander, thank you."

"My pleasure, Admiral, I'll find your men." She replied and the Kahoku ended the conversation. Sidda knew Kahoku by reputation only; he fought during the Blitz and the First Contact War, she remembered her father speaking of him when she was growing up but thus far had never met him.

Before she set out to find some wayward Marines she needed to figure out just what the hell happened between Ashley and Cerrus besides the fact they were both as racist as could be against the other. She huffed and told Joker to plot a course for the Sparta System but hold off on going until she sorted out what happened between the Bickering Bickersons. She was heading to the Cargo Bay but found one of her targets in on the Crew Deck fiddling with the empty locker next to hers.

Sidda narrowed her eyes as Cerrus shoved his belongings into the locker. "Thought your locker was downstairs." She stated approaching him and Cerrus grumbled.

"It was." He responded and his tone told her that he was still pissed off. "Now it's here."

"Alright, what happened?" she asked and he straightened his tunic in the mirror inside the locker door. Sidda leaned on her locker and looked the big Turian up and down catching the Taetrus sigil pin he always wore on his collar.

"She doesn't listen." Cerrus stated. "I gave her an order, she disobeyed it…nearly got the Asa-…Liara killed."

"Of course she doesn't listen to you…she's you." Sidda stated and Cerrus glowed down at her sharply.

"Do not compare me to her." He growled.

Sidda lifted an eyebrow. "Why not? You two are exactly alike. You hate Humans as much as she hates Turians."

Cerrus closed the locker hard and grumbled looking down at her. "Exactly what do you want me to do? You drug me here; gave me an Asari with no combat skills and a Human who doesn't listen."

"Train them." Sidda replied and Cerrus blinked.

He stuttered a few times a little surprised by her words. "Liara I can train." He stated. "How do you expect me to train the Chief? At gunpoint?"

By this point Sidda didn't care. "If need be." She replied and Cerrus blinked again. "Train her like you did me."

Cerrus was now more confused than ever. He stepped away from her and paced back and forth once or twice and then stopped looking at her, the confusion apparent on his face. "Who the hell are you?" he asked. A year ago she would never had spoken to him like this…my, what a year and a forced mission had done to change the tune.

She chuckled to his response and unfolded her arms to stand up straight to him. "Someone who wants to complete a mission." She stated. "And I can't do that if I'm worried about you two shooting each other."

Cerrus grumbled. "Fine." He snipped. "I'm willing to work if she is…to expedite this mission so I can get the hell off this ship."

Sidda nodded to him. "You're more compliant then I remember."

Cerrus scoffed. "So are you." He replied. "Makes for a calm ship."

It was Sidda's turn to scoff as she walked away. "Until we go at it and the ship blows up." She stated and heard Cerrus chuckle to that.

"I'm preoccupied with someone else at the moment." He muttered and she shook her head with a smile.

* * *

Ashley was still fuming from her fight with Cerrus, she tended to her gear but honestly she took her anger out on it. She stored her gear in her locker with sharp movements grumbling as she did so. Garrus eyed her as he listened to the pissed off Human turn a menial task into a grumble fest.

Sidda moved over to her and leaned on the locker next to hers. "You want to tell me what that was all about, Chief?"

"It's about you, Commander." She hissed and Sidda didn't move from her positon to the obvious insubordinate tone. "You go and serve on a Turian ship for a year and you come back a lover of them all. You've even taken one to your bed. Now you expect me to take orders form one? With all due respect but hell no, Skipper."

"Are you finished, Chief?" she asked not fazed by her words. She'd heard worse and knew that Ashley, like Cerrus, had a reason to hate the other. "What you can't seem to get through your thick head is that you will do as I tell you. If I tell you to lick Cerrus' boots you're gonna do that. On the flipside if I tell him to kiss your ass he's gonna do that." She stated and stood up straight as Ashley opened her mouth to protest like Sidda expected. The hand that went from Sidda's side silenced the Chief. "Because if I see another display like that again from either one of you I'll show both of you what a real ass kicking feels like." Ashley was forced to stand up straight as Sidda got closer to her on purpose. "Do I make myself abundantly clear, Gunnery Chief?"

Ashley was smart enough to stow to attitude right now, she'd been in the military long enough to know when to shut up. "Yes, Ma'am."

"_Commander, we're approaching the system." _Joker stated over the comm and Sidda grumbled. She had said her peace and was apparently a very popular person. She turned away from Ashley and caught Garrus eyeing the exchange as she headed off to take care of the next crisis.

* * *

The _Normandy_ entered the Sparta System and made its way to Edolus. Sidda stood behind Joker wondering they would find by scanning the planet. "You getting anything, Joker?" she asked and Joker took a minute before answering.

"Automated distress call, Commander." He replied. "Alliance…getting a fix on it now."

Sidda nodded and Joker knew what was next. "Prep for a Mako drop." She stated and turned away heading down to gather her team. Now it was time for her to figure out who she was going to take along. With Cerrus and Ashley squabbling she didn't want to take them together without them working out their differences. She really didn't want to be left out in the wind when they opened fire on each other. Cerrus' newfound patience would never last long if Ashley pushed him too far.

As she headed down to the Cargo Bay she found Kaidan. "Kaidan, get your gear let's go." She stated deciding to take him along for one. Kaidan didn't question and dropped what he was doing to go with her.

"Lead on Saren?" he asked and Sidda shook her head as she walked before him.

"A request from Adm. Kahoku." She stated and Kaidan narrowed his eyes, he'd heard that name.

"Kahoku? _The_ Kahoku?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yep." She replied. "One of his units went missing. We picked up an automated Alliace signal from the surface of the planet he sent us to." She explained as she tapped the button on the lift. When they reached the Cargo Bay she found Ashley and Cerrus separate but the tension between them was obvious. "Garrus, get your stuff, we gotta go."

"Go where?" Ashley asked before he could.

"A mission." Sidda replied in a short tone with her. "How's the Mako?" she directed to Garrus.

"Ready to go."

* * *

About two hours later Joker got the call for a pick up from the Mako team. Edolus was barely on the scale for hospitable. It was a hot, dusty, desert hell hole. Cerrus crossed the Cargo Bay as the ramp opened and was hit with a blast Edolus' hot, dusty air. He hated deserts, Taetrus was a hot and humid jungle and that he preferred. Deserts were no good no matter how you looked at it; it wasn't the heat that bothered him it was the dry air and the sand. Sand was the worse, it's so coarse and found its way into every little nook and cranny to damaged armor, weapons, and get in his eyes. He sighed heavily, he really hated deserts.

The Mako launched from the ledge and landed hard on the ramp. The ship shook as the giant tank made as graceful a landing as it could. The ramp began to close and the hum of the magnetic track locked the Mako into place. Ashley and Wrex had gathered as well and they all noticed the greenish-orange goop that was splattered all over the hull. His eyes narrowed to several parts that looked melted. "What the hell?" Cerrus asked out loud to no one specific.

"Looks like they had a little fun." Wrex stated as the hatch opened.

"What is this stuff?" Ashley asked beating Cerrus to the question.

"What's left of a Thresher Maw." Garrus replied as he was first to exit the tank followed by Kaidan and then Sidda.

Cerrus laughed loudly and was suddenly a little sad that he didn't get to go along. He'd spent time on Tuchanka and had seen their Thresher Maws. He also knew that that inhospitable rock the Krogan called home wasn't the only place those giant worms were found. "I'm almost sorry I didn't get to go." He stated.

"Yeah, taking on a Thresher Maw in a tank is not something I care to repeat, Captain." Kaidan stated and Garrus snorted surveying the damage to the exterior hull.

"Shepard, only you would go head to head with a Thresher Maw in a Mako." Cerrus stated and Sidda gave him a mock smile.

"Did you find the Marines?" Ashley asked and Sidda nodded with a sigh.

"All ten." She stated pulling a handful of dog tags out of the pack strapped to her leg. "Killed by the Maw."

Sidda broke the bad news to Kahoku, all of his men were killed but Kaidan was right, the massacre was strikingly familiar to a massacre on the planet Akuze. An entire Marine Detachment was killed when they wandered into a Thresher Maw nest. This was too similar and Sidda voiced that to the Admiral but there was nothing to suspect that it was anything more than a coincidence.

* * *

Two days after the detour to Edolus the _Normandy_ was back on track, it was powder keg on board with Cerrus and Ashley taking great pains to stay out of each other's way since the threat from Sidda that went both ways. Cerrus honored his word to Sidda and helped facilitate the mission rather than create more issues with an internal feud.

Cerrus was thankful for the card game that was started by Sidda and Kaidan, as he had the Cargo Bay to himself. Even Wrex had joined in and it had lasted through the evening, Garrus had invited him but he declined. He knew how to play cards and he played well but he preferred solace, he was a hard person to get to know and it was damn near impossible for anyone but another Turian to get to know him. In the past year he'd opened up to one person Rekka but he still didn't trust her fully with his deepest secrets and feelings. Of course Nov was thrilled that Cerrus finally got laid but he could have killed his comrade for spreading that all over the ship. Cerrus didn't call Desala his mate or his girlfriend but he did consider her a very close friend. He was frustrating for her and he could see that but she said nothing.

Another benefit to the card game was Ashley had joined in leaving Cerrus free of the human that was worse than Sidda on every level. Since the Cargo Bay was clear he could do as he liked and chose his favorite past time, working on weapons.

It was quiet save for the hum of the ship and the noises his task was making at the weapon bench. He had disassembled the Avenger and modified it. It was a simple weapon but reliable, not as reliable as its predecessor the Lancer but reliable well enough.

The door to the engine room opened and he saw Tali walk in lost in her own tasks. He paid her no mind and went back to what he was doing. As he worked in silence he heard Tali rummaging through some crates and storage. He spared a few glances but kept to his task.

He heard a heavy bang followed by a curse. "Bosh'tet." Tali cursed quietly but his keen hearing heard it.

Cerrus put down what he was working on and walked over to her location on the far side of the Mako. He rounded the corner and saw the little Quarian standing on a crate trying to reach a box in the upper storage. She stretched as far as she could but couldn't get a grip on the crate. Cerrus said nothing to her and simply walked up next to her and reached the crate with ease. The Turian was over a foot taller than Tali and even standing on a crate she still wasn't as tall as he.

"You looked like you needed a hand." He stated as she stepped down off the crate and took the smaller one that he handed her.

Tali's shyness showed through. "Thank you." She said quietly and gave him a sheepish sounding giggle. "It's not easy being smaller than everyone else."

Cerrus actually chuckled to her. "Never had that problem, I'm the tallest in my family."

She chuckled softly. "Everyone's taller than me." She replied.

"You're not playing cards with the others?" he asked and Tali looked up at him shaking her head.

"No…I'm still trying to get through what we found on Rothla." She stated and walked with him back around the Mako. "It had more encryption then I thought."

Cerrus nodded. "Do you need help?" he asked, no really sure why though, he didn't know anything about hacking encryption.

Tali sighed and shook her head. "Umm.. no…just waiting for the program to finish." She stated and glanced over at the bench. "Why aren't you up there with the rest?"

Cerrus shrugged shaking his head. "I'm not the friendliest person, Tali…I just prefer to work on weapons."

Tali didn't see him as unfriendly, she didn't know him that well but so far she liked him, he was quiet and honest and seemed friendly enough to her.

* * *

It took time but Tali had finally sifted through all the information that was retrieved from the base on Rothla. It was a long and painstaking process to find something that was worth anything, most of the information wasn't about Saren or why the base was there

While what they had found on Edolus was unnerving with its similarities to Akuze, Sidda returned to chasing her nemesis. Tali was finished with the Rothla data and most everyone had clustered into the briefing room to listen in.

"I didn't find anything specific but I did find pieces. Nothing on what was in the medical wing." Tali stated and sounded irritated with the fact that she didn't find more.

"Seriously, you spent all that time and you came up with only a few pieces?" Ashley scoffed.

Cerrus was leaning on the wall listening quietly. "I didn't see you helping." He stated earning a glare from the Chief. "What did you find?" he asked ignoring her.

Sidda eyed Cerrus, that was an odd comment from him. He was a nice guy under all the grouchiness and it occurred to her that she didn't know him as well as she thought. He defended her once against Nov's drunken rage but maybe she was seeing a different side to him, one that was easier to work with when they weren't trying to kill each other. Ashley glared at him but said nothing with Sidda standing there ready to pounce on the next squabble that occurred.

Tali seemed to be a little timid when confronted by someone like Ashley but she smiled a little hearing Cerrus speak up in her defense. "Umm… not much, a reference to a planet called Noveria. They were sending and receiving shipments but no description on what the cargo was.

"Noveria…" Sidda asked. "Which one is that?"

"Private corporate research." Garrus answered.

"Why would Saren be connected to corporate research?" Kaidan asked and Tali shrugged.

"I don't know there wasn't much to find aside from regular base information and a little bit of shipment information." Tali replied and sounded very dissatisfied with what she had to present to Shepard.

"What about the Feros lead from the Council?" she asked and looked over to Kaidan.

"Reports of Geth sighted at Zhu's Hope." Kaidan stated. "Tiny human colony mostly trying to live on their own but there's a big ExoGeni presence. The colony's located in the giant Prothean ruin which is also why there's a big ExoGeni contingent."

"So why the hell is Saren interested in Feros?" Ashley asked.

"It's Prothean…that's why he went after Eden Prime, that's why we've been scouring as much Prothean tech as possible. Feros is where we're gonna find Saren." Sidda stated and scanned each of the members that had attended. "There's something there he wants…something like a beacon or something. That's the only reason he'd go there."

"So Feros it is?" Cerrus asked and Sidda nodded.

"Yeah, we'll go to Feros next and hopefully we can nab that Turian bastard there." She stated.

"And if it's a dead end?" Ashley asked. "Then what?"

"We move onto the next lead." She stated and looked to Kaidan. "Tell Pressley to plot a course for Feros. How's the Mako?"

"Still repairing the melted parts." Garrus replied. "Two hours…should be in top shape."

Sidda nodded and trusted the rest to make sure weapons, armor, and equipment would ready to roll as soon as they met their destination. The Mako had seen a bit of mileage over the past week so making sure it was going to handle whatever was thrown at it was a bit of priority. What she wouldn't give for a damn shuttle. "Okay, two hours and we go. Cerrus, Wrex, Tali…you're coming with me."

The room nodded and dispersed leaving Sidda standing where she had been and scrolling through the data that Tali had come up with. She was actually irritated that she didn't come up with more from Rothla, as baiting as Feros was she was very curious about just what type of shipments were being sent to Noveria.

"_Commander, I've got Adm. Kahoku on the line for you."_ Joker chimed in and Sidda turned from her pace as she was alone in the briefing room.

"Put him on, Joker." She said. "Admiral."

"_Commander, I don't have much time so I'll get to it. I find myself in the position to ask for your help again_." He stated quickly, this time he didn't appear on the holo so all she had was a disembodied voice to listen to.

"Name it, Sir." She stated quickly, whatever else she might be doing she was still and Alliance Officer.

"_I've done some checking, trying to find out what happened to my men. You were right, it mirrors Akuze to a T and that's too much to be a coincidence. I was able to track down some information that I'm encrypting and transmitting to you now."_ Kahoku stated and Sidda nodded. She really didn't have time to for the deviation but she was willing to do it anyway.

"We'll have a look at it, Sir." She stated and Kahoku's opinion of her increased.

"_Paying for this information has made me…a target, Commander…I believe I am being followed."_

That statement rubbed Sidda the wrong way. "Admiral, if that's the case then you need to alert C-Sec and the Alliance. I'll come back to the Citadel and pick you u-…"

Kahoku cut her off brushing her suggestions aside. _"I can take care of myself, Commander, you job is to find out who killed my men."_ He stated and Sidda had been in the military long enough to get his tone. That was the tone of Admirals and Generals clinging to their pride.

"Yes, Sir." She replied quickly and the transmission ended.

Sidda leaned on the comm console and rapidly tapped her fingernails on the casing; she really didn't need another damn distraction. She really needed to find that Turian son of a bitch not go gallivanting across the galaxy searching for leads about missing marines and sinister plots. She said she'd go so Sidda tabled the Saren leads for now, the sooner she took care of this the sooner she could get back to turning the galaxy inside out for Saren and the Conduit.

With a sigh, Sidda headed for the Galaxy Map and brought up the encrypted data that Kahoku sent trying to get a fix on where they needed to go. "Pressley," she called. "set course for the Kepler Verge." She stated and Pressley narrowed his eyes.

"What about Feros?" the navigator asked.

"Feros is on hold." She replied. "Ontarom, in the Newton System."

"Yes, Commander." Pressley replied and Sidda headed out. She stopped at her locker and then in her quarters.

* * *

She sat down on her bed, then laid down lost in deep thought; she toyed with the pendant on her dog tags as it had become a habit since Victus gave it to her. She wished she had him right now; she could use his help and his company. So far the crew that she had acquired met the level she had grown accustom to with the _Lante_. They may have squabbled but they were good at their jobs, Garrus she liked…she liked him a lot and Kaidan too. The biotic was handsome and if things had gone differently for her she could see herself rolling around in bed with him. All this aside…she still missed Victus.

The Cargo Bay usually saw more recreational activity then the Crew Deck did, this time it was no different. Sidda made her way down to find a curious scene; so far it had been a little over a week since Cerrus was yanked on board by the scruff of his neck. In that time he'd successfully figured out how to work with Sidda which was a stark contrast to their previous relationship but he'd also stated a mortal war with Ashley. That being said, one would figure that the person he would talk to was the other Turian on board, Garrus. Not true, aside from mission specific conversation the pair didn't say six words to each other. So when Sidda observed the two Turians sparring, actually sparring, it made her cock her head.

Cerrus was one of the best hand to hand fighters that she had ever seen in either the Alliance or the Turian military. He was third rank on the _Lante_ second to Victus and Nov but he was the most brutal out of them all. From what she saw Garrus was no slouch either.

"Guess I misjudged C-Sec…you guys can fight." Cerrus taunted and Garrus mused.

"Top rank on the _Sentinel_ two years in a row." Garrus replied and Cerrus replied with a snort.

Sidda skirted their chosen sparring area and approached Ashley who was busy going over the weapons inventory. Ashley was aggravated with Cerrus who did the same thing and tended to strip and modify the guns without asking. According to Sidda, that was what he did on the _Lante_ and what he did when he was bored or couldn't sleep. It still irritated Ashley to no end knowing that Cerrus did what he pleased with the weapons.

"This is new." Sidda stated out loud referring to the sparring pair and Ashley scoffed.

"Can you put a stop to this?" she asked sounding irritated. "They've been going at it for the past half hour. That's all I need to hear…two Turians grunting like cavemen." She bitched.

"You should train with Cerrus. Say what you will about Turians but their hand to hand puts the Alliance to shame." Sidda stated and received a disgusted snort from the Chief.

"Maybe you think that." She hissed and Sidda gave the soldier who was bordering on insubordinate.

"Chief, you may not like him but he knows what he's doing." Sidda replied. "I hate him. He's an asshole, he's condescending…did I mention he's an asshole?" she stated. "That man kicked my ass every day for the better part of six months."

"With respect, Commander, I don't care." Ashley replied and Sidda sighed, if she didn't get those two to fight it out the ship would remain the SSV Powder Keg.

She returned her attention to the match going on. From what she was observing Garrus and Cerrus were evenly matched, Garrus was slightly shorter but his stance mirrored Cerrus'. Though she guessed that Garrus was nowhere near as brutal as Cerrus was when it came to fighting, Cerrus was a dirty fighter too, his philosophy in hand to hand was a little basic: nothing is fair about a fight. Period. "Change of plans guys…we're not going to Feros. We gotta make a stop first." The boys weren't finished with their match but they both stopped and turned their attention to her.

* * *

The Mako dropped like a meteor onto the planet of Ontarom, yet another inhospitable rock awaited them. Nitrogen rich atmosphere and hot enough to make a Turian sweat, Ontarom was a communication hub for the Alliance, they had a few dish fields set up for both military and civilian use but they were after something hundreds of kliks away from anything like that. They hadn't encountered anything as of yet but they followed the coordinates that came with Kahoku's information. It was odd that they hadn't found anything so far but then again they didn't really know what they were walking into.

They reached their target without a fuss, and filed out of the Mako, the general consensus was that this was way too damn easy. They weren't too sure what this was all about but given the connection to the dead marines from Edolus it was obvious that it couldn't be very good.

The information from Kahoku said this was a science facility of some sort so seeing a few rovers and monitoring items scatter about on the surface was to be expected, but they had so far seen no signs of life. The facility looked like the circular dome type that was common, as they filed out of the Mako Cerrus and Wrex observed their surroundings.

"Anyone else find it odd that they have an armed personnel carrier?" Cerrus asked noticing that Wrex had seen the same thing.

"And fresh tracks…" Wrex added looking at the treads in the mud leading up to the bunker.

"There's more in there than just scientists, Shepard." Cerrus explained as Tali tapped a few keys on the panel quickly defeating any security.

Sidda sighed. "Alright, let's see what's going on." She said and looked to Tali. "Tali?"

"Ready." The Quarian replied as Sidda opened the door and entered followed by her team.

As they entered, the facility seemed as normal as could be, except for the two dead bodies they spied as soon as they entered. Sidda grumbled annoyed with the trail of bodies she either created or followed lately. She could hear Wrex make a noise that probably mirrored her irritation but she suspected the Krogan was itching for a fight.

"Well, this looks promising." She heard Cerrus mutter from behind Tali. "These look like scientists…not mercs."

More gunfire drew their attention telling them that whatever fight that had started wasn't finished. "Oh, good…" Wrex began with a chuckle. "a firefight." He stated with glee in his voice.

Cerrus chuckled, he liked this Krogan. "I like you, Wrex." He stated and Wrex scoffed, that probably wasn't high up on the Krogan's bucket list…winning the approval of a Turian.

"Check fire, until we know what the hell is going on." She stated and they moved further into the facility.

Coming to a door the four separated on either side of it, Tali and Wrex on the right and Sidda and Cerrus on the left. Wrex hit the button to open it and they slipped in hugging the wall on either side, it was a good thing they stuck to the walls hiding behind whatever crates because they had found their adversary. They looked like mercenaries, about a dozen of them and they drew down as soon as they found the open door. Soon enough Sidda's team was embroiled in a firefight.

Sidda could see a pile of dead bodies near the center of the room, they were clothed the same as the bodies they found in the hall. If this was supposed to be a research facility the smart money bet was they were the scientists that ran the place. It wasn't like Sidda could stop and ask what was going on, she would have liked to but the mercs didn't give her that option.

Cerrus expertly took down his targets without much fuss and he kept an eye on those of the team that he could see. He could hear Wrex laughing during his combat and had to snort at the Krogan's approach to battle. He couldn't see Tali though, but could hear the loud bark from her shotgun.

Sidda rolled away from a grenade and made it to a pillar but the explosion made her ears ring. She unleashed a warp into the one that threw the grenade and targeted the one that appeared to her left. The pistol didn't fire when she pulled the trigger and she looked at her weapon in disbelief, Vidinos didn't strike her as the type that would keep a weapon that misfired. "Fuck." She cursed and moved around the pillar to get out of the line of fire. "Cerrus!"

Despite the chaos of the firefight the Turian was able to hear the distress call over all the noise and shifted his focus. Sidda heard the explosion from a carnage shot that effectively eliminated her current issue and started unleashing biotics all over the field. Any attempt to find out who they were went out the window when they opened fire and she was okay with that. Dead people were easier to search.

It wasn't often that Cerrus was taken by surprise. That being said, 800lbs of Krogan rushing him from the side most definitely qualified as a surprise. He thanked his lucky stars for his top of the line and heavily upgraded heavy armor that served to cushion the impact as he was smashed into the wall like a bug. His right shoulder hit first and even through the plate of his armor he felt everything compress to the middle. His grunt was lost under the Krogan's roar as the mercenary tried to blow Cerrus' head off with a shotgun. Cerrus didn't have a whole lot of room to maneuver, the Krogan was stronger than he was but he wasn't about to be done in by an over grown lizard. He blocked the shotgun and was able to push it off from a direct line to his face and turned his head at the last second to avoid the blast. The round discharged into the wall missing Cerrus' face by less than an inch. Cerrus' face stung as the muzzle produced a flame thrower of hot air and gas went into the left side of his face along with a ton of shrapnel. He hissed to the sting of it and planted his right foot as high up on the wall as he could and pushed off with all the strength he could muster trying to shove the heavy Krogan off of him. He managed to get enough to allow him to add his left foot and shove the Krogan into the wall across the hall.

It occurred to Cerrus that he wasn't going to beat this Krogan in hand to hand; he had to get away from him if he wanted to live. The Krogan shoved Cerrus off him and lined up on him with the shotgun again; Cerrus dodged the shot that was fired, but only just. He felt the round hit the extreme right side of his waist and his glare could have killed the Krogan…if only he had that power.

He was finally able to collect his rifle and fired a burst into the Krogan but that only served to further piss it off. The Krogan roared and charged, a charging Krogan was a bad thing, if that pissed off death machine got to him again he was a goner. Cerrus back pedaled as quickly as reverse would allow and lined up again with his rifle. Something hit him as he backed up quickly and knocked him off his feet; he thought it was a warp because of how it made him feel. He landed on his back hard and his rifle clattered away, the Krogan was still charging and he was at a severe disadvantage now. The Turian scrambled backward on his back and drew the only weapon he had left, his pistol, and rapidly fired as many shots as he possibly could. The Krogan dropped after several shots were leveled into his face and head. Cerrus must have capped off over a dozen rounds and his pistol overheated just as the Krogan fell.

Cerrus let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding and laid back flat and counting his blessings. "Fuck me." He breathed and felt the sting in his face; he'd check that damage later but he took the time to look at his Brawler pistol tipping the barrel against his forehead. "Baby, you're the best." He stated taking a few seconds before getting to his feet.

Sidda grumbled to her pistol as she eyed it with sheer irritation; damn thing nearly got her killed. The firefight stilled and her team ventured out of the woodwork, wherever it was they landed during the fight.

"Everyone okay?" she asked and saw Cerrus' bloodied face. "Damn, you okay?"

Cerrus waved her off and nodded. "I'm fine." He stated quickly, it was a lie…half of his face hurt like hell. Mostly it burned; he didn't much care about the shrapnel but the burn from the muzzle flash made it worse.

A single gunshot was heard and the four of them swarmed the far door they hadn't checked yet. When it opened Sidda was the first through and saw a man holding a gun on a scientist. This was the time for her to get some answers.

"Drop it." She ordered and the human man in armor holding the gun looked at her sharply but didn't comply.

"Thank God!" the scientist exclaimed. "The Alliance sent help…this man killed my staff and he's going to kill me."

"Drop the weapon." Sidda ordered but he gave her a cold expression, she's seen that look before. That was the look reserved for people who had nothing left to lose.

When the man saw her his weapon remained on the scientist. "You're Cdr. Shepard." He stated and Sidda looked him up and down.

"Who are you?" she asked and the doctor got antsy.

"What does it matter, Commander, shoot him before he shoots me." He barked and Sidda kept her eyes on the man with the gun.

"Shut up!" the gunman barked he noticed Sidda's N7 insignia and eyed her quickly. "My name is Toombs. Cpl. Anthony Toombs; Alliance Marines."

She didn't really want to shoot him if she didn't have to and waved off the other three to make it a little less volatile a situation. "Put the weapon down, Corporal." She ordered.

"No." he replied in a growl. "You don't know what's going on here, Commander, Cerberus is evil. They kept me for so long I lost track. This man led the tests, didn't you, Dr. Wayne?"

Sidda blinked hearing a familiar word. "Cerberus?" she questioned, she'd heard that name before and her brain flipped through the rolodex of crap she'd encountered. The mission to Nebewa, where she first met Nihlus, the woman running the show called themselves Cerberus in her final breath. This was starting to come together but still didn't make a whole lot of sense. "What do you know about Cerberus?"

"They captured me…on Akuze…all those years ago." He replied and Sidda cocked her head.

"The Marine detachment?" she inquired. "No one survived."

Toombs still didn't lower the gun but he seemed to relax slightly as someone was finally listening to him. "I did." He said quietly. "They set it up and watched. When the Maw was finished they found me, still alive but barely. They experimented on me…" he trailed off but didn't lose his focus. "Do you know what happens to people when Thresher Maw acid is injected into the blood, Commander? I do."

Sidda glanced back to Cerrus whose eyes never wavered from the obvious threat in the room. If this doctor was a part of 'Cerberus' she really didn't need him dead. He could answer a lot of questions for her and Maridus but also if Toombs was for real this could be the break that Kahoku was looking for. "Doctor?" she asked.

"I've never seen this man in my life, he's crazy. He just killed my staff!" Wayne stated and Toombs regressed.

"Stop lying!" Toombs yelled and pressed the pistol closer. "You captured me! You tortured me!"

"Corporal!" Sidda warned hoping to reach the soldier in him. "Stand down." She stated and didn't give up on reasoning with him. "Anthony, listen to me. If he's guilty of what you say he is let me take him, I'll drop him at the Alliance." She said and Toombs shook his head. "I've had dealings with Cerberus before they tried to kill two of my friends the Alliance knows about them."

"Of course they do…Cerberus used to be one of their Black Ops." Toombs stated. "They went rogue."

"If you kill him nothing gets solved." She stated and lowered her weapon. "I'm just asking for you to trust me. Another unit was killed the same way yours was…we need him alive. You have my word I'm gonna help you get to the bottom of this but I can't do that if you blow his head off."

Toombs seemed to be weighing his options, he wanted revenge for what happened to him but he also didn't want this to happen to anyone else and he wanted Cerberus to answer for their crimes. Shepard was an Alliance hero and he knew that. "They say you're a hero, Commander."

Sidda edged a step closer to the traumatized soldier. "That's what they say."

"The Hero of Elysium." He said and Sidda really hated be called that but felt proud of it right now if it made him trust her.

"Put that weapon down, let me take him, and come with me, and I promise I won't let you down." She said and Toombs looked at her instead of Wayne. He locked eyes with her and dropped his weapon down to his side before hesitating to hand it to her. When he did Sidda nodded to him.

"Tali, Cerrus, take the good Doctor into custody." She ordered and they both didn't question it. Dr. Wayne however had other issues.

"You can't do this, Commander, this man is crazy!" Wayne protested and shoved Tali away from him but didn't get too far away as Cerrus snatched him up with a firm grip and a growl.

"Until I sort this out, you're coming with me." She stated and Wayne continued to protest. "Tali, get on their main computer and capture what data you can."

* * *

Chakwas dabbed a disinfectant to the cuts on Cerrus' face and the Turian hissed. She had cleaned up the left side and honestly it wasn't that bad of an injury, the burns made it feel worse than it was and the shrapnel piece she dug away from his eye caused him to bleed like crazy.

"Your file says you can't use medigel, Captain, I've heard of severe clinical cases of allergic reactions but never seen one." She stated and Cerrus hissed as the disinfectant got deep into the cut by his eye.

"I'll take my shorts off for you, Doctor, then you can see how severe it gets." He stated and Chakwas continued working dabbing more into the cut, it didn't sting this time and Cerrus sat as still as a statue.

"Excessive scarring?" she asked and Cerrus grunted an affirmation. "So you can use it…but only in life threatening situations."

"Yeah." He replied. "I have a pistol shot that looks like I was hit by a shotgun."

Chakwas nodded, it was important information for her to know and while she hadn't worked on too many Turians in her life she was familiar with their biology. "Well, you should be fine with minimal scarring." She stated. "I've applied a topical analgesic so just let be and come see me if you need anything else."

Cerrus stood from the bed rising to his 6'6" height nodding to the doctor. "Thank you."

The Medical Bay door opened and Sidda stepped in just as Cerrus was trying to leave. "Hey, how's the face?" she asked and Cerrus shrugged.

"Fine." He replied and Sidda could have bet on that answer.

"Can you do me a favor?" she asked and the Turian's posture stiffened. He never did relax no matter what was going on. He looked down at her as she handed him her pistol. "Fucking thing misfired…like it over heated and I don't know why."

Cerrus took the black weapon and examined it finding it very familiar. His eyes narrowed as he held it in his left hand and ran his right hand across it. "This is Magnus' gun." He stated and looked at her fairly confused. "Why do you have it?"

"Who?" she replied and Cerrus nearly grumbled. There was no mistake he'd seen this pistol enough to recognize it as his academy friends'.

"Magnus Vidinos." He stated.

Sidda had forgotten his first name but nodded. "Oh yeah, he gave it to me after I kicked his ass on Pinnacle Station." She stated and Cerrus' eyes remained narrow. "Wait, how do you know him?"

"He was my best friend growing up and through the academy." He stated. "He's had this gun since our first assignment. I built it for him."

"How did I know that you two assholes were friends?" Sidda scoffed and if she didn't know better she could have sworn he grinned. Vidinos was just like him and he knew that if he and Sidda went at each other it must have been explosive.

"You survived…that's all you need." He replied and Sidda's glower actually made him snort. "I'll fix it." He said and excused himself letting Sidda get on with what she was doing. She needed to talk to Toombs, this former Alliance soldier that may or may not be telling the truth.

"Hey, Doc, how is he?" she asked referring to Toombs sitting on the furthest bed looking whole heartedly uncomfortable.

"Traumatized…I can't even begin to know what's been done to him but there are signs of severe physical abuse. Needle scarring, mental trauma…he doesn't trust me, it took me an hour just to get close enough to examine him." Chakwas stated and Sidda nodded.

"Give me a minute with him, please." Sidda said and as Chakwas left Sidda made her way to Toombs. "How ya doing?" she asked and Toombs looked at her.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"_Arcturus Station_ but before that you said you escaped from somewhere…where was it?" she asked.

Toombs eyed her, so far she seemed like she could be trusted but he was still leery of it. "Why? What do you know about Cerberus?"

Sidda hopped on the bed next to his. "Last year I had mission. People had been going missing and it caught the eye of a Council Spectre. Long story short there was a secret facility on a planet called Nebewa run by an organization called 'Cerberus', I didn't have a clue what they were at the time but the Marine unit on Edolus mirrors what happened on Akuze exactly." She stated and Toombs relaxed a little.

"What were they doing on Nebewa?" he asked and Sidda sighed.

"Experiments. They seemed hell bent on dissecting a Turian that was with us." She answered. "I don't know the whole story about what was going on we lost most of the data. I just want to know where you escaped from, if they're responsible for what happened to you and the unit on Edolus I want to shut them down."

Toombs nodded finding her so far the only person he seemed to trust. "Binthu."

"Thank you." She said and left him alone to rest. She couldn't imagine what he had been through but it was confirmed that Cpl. Anthony Toombs was a member of the unit that was lost on Akuze and Hackett was very curious to meet him. Before that Sidda wanted answers and didn't mind putting Saren on hold for this. She'd already tried several times to reach Kahoku but got no response.

* * *

True to Cerrus' word, he had the pistol disassembled in front of him. Vidinos' pistol was a heavily modified Haliat Stiletto. Vidinos was as much of a gun bunny as he was so when Vidinos acquired the expensive handgun during their first posting together Cerrus modified it for him. Now it was almost unrecognizable as a Stiletto but Cerrus could pick this gun out of a crowd, he must be slipping…he never noticed this before.

Tali opened her locker and looked over at the Turian hunched over a disassembled pistol. "How's your face?" she asked and Cerrus looked up from what he was doing.

"It hurts." He replied and Tali closed the locker moving closer to him to get a better look. The flash didn't melt any flesh it just made it tender, like a sunburn, the cuts on top of those hurt for the simple reason that it felt like his face was on fire. The deep cut that was created by a chunk of the wall was deep on his cheekbone. "Ouch."

"Believe me the Krogan wanted to do a lot worse." He stated and Tali giggled.

"I'm glad he didn't." she stated and Cerrus looked down at her as she excused herself.

Cerrus paused working and watched her leave with an inward smile and a snort to himself.

* * *

It didn't take long for the _Normandy_ to make it to Binthu, instead of going to _Arcturus_ first she decided to just cut to the chase and go to the source. Sidda sidelined Cerrus and took Kaidan and Ashley down to investigate.

"So you've dealt with Cerberus before?" Kaidan asked as the Mako sped across Binthu's dusty acid rain prone surface.

"Yeah, they tried to kill Maridus, Nihlus, and me in one swing." Sidda replied. "They failed."

"So what happens if this turns out to be a wild goose chase?" Kaidan asked and Sidda shrugged.

"It's not…I'll bet you dinner on that." She stated and Kaidan let a grin spread across his face.

"I like Goose." He stated and Sidda couldn't help but snort.

"Funny." She replied and Kaidan chuckled loudly.

The Mako shook as the defenses for the facility found them; Toombs' information was spot on with where it was. Sidda didn't know why but she trusted Toombs, yes he was a little unstable but so far she had no reason to suspect him.

A few turrets and a half a dozen mercs, or guards or whatever they were, squished by the Mako and Ashley's driving skills later they had access to the facility. The security was a little tough to bypass but Kaidan was sufficiently skilled enough to bypass it. Whoever was inside probably already knew they had some uninvited guests.

With Sidda on point they slipped into the 'research' facility with relative ease though it was odd that they didn't encounter resistance until they reached the heart of the facility. As they moved through they found holding cells, large square observation cells cordoned off by a mass effect field. So far two of them were empty but their intrusion had not gone unnoticed, as soon as they set foot in the first holding room they were attacked by an onslaught of guards. Unlike everything they had faced so far, Sidda noticed that they were all human; not a Krogan, Salarian, or Turian among them…not even an Asari.

Sidda knelt down to a dead guard and examined the woman closer. The uniform was familiar, at least the insignia was. "Toombs is right." She stated and Kaidan hovered over her looking down at what she was. "This is the same insignia…I've seen this before."

"What are they holding in these?" Ashley asked and Sidda stood from the guard.

"My guess is one of them was Cpl. Toombs." She replied. "Let's continue on and ask, shall we?"

They kept moving and came across a third holding cell surrounded by more guards and about five scientists. This one was a little harder to punch through there were over 20 armed guards that played ring around the rosy with the holding cell. None of them got out of this without some kind of damage, Kaidan took a sniper shot to the arm, Ashley had to beat a vanguard into submission but got as good as she gave, and Sidda went head to head with another biotic.

By the time the fight was over Sidda had been thrown into the wall at the most awkward angle imaginable, if it hadn't been for her armor she probably would have broken something. "Ow…" she groaned and righted herself looking to Ashley with a thankful nod. She and the Chief may not have been on the same terms about things but she certainly came in handy. "Kaidan, you okay?" she asked and collected her rifle.

The medic grumbled and examined the wound a bit closer for a second. "Yeah…just winged me."

"Commander, you better take a look at this." Ashley said as she stood close to the mass effect barrier surrounding the holding cell. There was a body lying in the middle of the floor, this was the first one that actually had someone or something in it.

"Kaidan." She called and the sentinel didn't need any other orders than that. He activated his Omni-tool and quickly bypassed the security. When the field came down Sidda moved closer with her weapon ready but as she drew nearer she noticed the Alliance uniform then she realized why she couldn't get a hold of Adm. Kahoku. "Oh my God…" she breathed. "That's Adm. Kahoku."

Kaidan knelt down next to his body and checked his vitals but sighed deeply before looking up at Sidda. "He's dead, Commander." He stated and Sidda's jaw tightened.

"He said he was being followed." She stated as Kaidan noticed a needle mark on his neck. "Toombs was right…" Ashley saw her temper flaring as it had before with Nihlus' death. Her jaw tightened and she started to pace a little. "Kaidan, find the main computer and get everything you can."

* * *

Toombs slowly approached Sidda tentatively. "Commander." He announced and she twisted to see him but didn't move. The corporal was unstable and dangerous but so far he'd shown no aggression toward her. He was far from relaxed but it placed trust in her.

"Corporal." She replied with a smile, Sidda couldn't imagine the level of torture they put him through the countless experiments he endured. Just hearing they injected him with Thresher Maw acid was enough to make her skin crawl.

"Tony, please." He stated and that sounded odd to him. It had been years since someone called him by his name. Cerberus called him by his rank and occasionally by his last name but that was it. Sidda had listened to him and did far more for him than anyone else ever did. "I wanted to thank you for believing me. I escaped months ago and no one believed me when I told them, they all thought I was crazy."

Her eyes drifted down and she shook his outstretched hand with a nod. "It was my pleasure, Tony."

He let go of her hand as quickly as she sook it, uncomfortable with the contact. "There are more of them out there. You know that right?" he asked as the _Normandy_ shook when it made contact with the _Arcturus_ docking cradle. "They…they do…horrible things to people…it wasn't just me trapped in there. I saw others and heard worse."

"If I find them I'll shut them down…you have my word on that. The Alliance will have everything I have, we will get them." She stated and Toombs wasn't exactly convinced but he actually trusted Sidda. Since the rumor was that Cerberus started out as an Alliance Black Op the idea of them running the show looking into Cerberus didn't give him much confidence. He trusted Sidda; she followed through on Ontarom and again on Binthu and never once looked at him like he was crazy. Now she was going to hand the Cerberus doctor over to the Alliance to be questioned. "If you need me, you call." She stated and the sincerity in her voice was apparent. "I mean it."

For the first time in he couldn't remember how long he actually smiled. "Thank you, Commander." He stated and the airlock door cycled open. Now it was time to offload Dr. Wayne, Toombs, and Adm. Kahoku's body along with a copy of the information they had gathered on Ontarom and Binthu. She was happy to be back on track and hunting for her Turian quarry but she didn't mind helping shut Cerberus down. Something told her that this was bigger than what they had found and it was far from over.

* * *

In her quarters she leaned back in the desk chair rubbing her face, she was tired and wanted to sleep but Hackett wanted a complete report on the mess with Cerberus ASAP so she slaved over her computer writing it up. Her silence was interrupted by her comm officer.

"_Transmission coming in for you, Commander."_ The woman stated and Sidda stretched her back.

"Thank you, Ensign, put it through." She replied not really caring who it was from at this particular point.

"_Commander, I represent an interested party and I understand you have come into possession of some intelligence that was promised to my employer."_ a male disembodied voice stated, it was human she could tell that but beyond that it was anyone's guess.

Sidda narrowed her eyes. "And your employer is?" she asked a little surprised by his bold speech.

"_The Shadow Broker."_ He stated and Sidda sighed, that illusive bastard was the bane of her existence so far. Selling secrets to her enemy, facilitating a hit…she really didn't like him. _"The Broker made a deal with Adm. Kahoku to turn over any information gained from the Cerberus facility on Ontarom. We are willing to offer you the same deal with an impressive sum."_

Sidda's answer was simple and she scoffed. The Broker worked with Saren and damn near killed her and her crew. He was not her ally and he wasn't really her enemy, he worked for himself and whoever furthered his own goal. "No." she answered bluntly and there was a long pause on the line.

"_Commander, be smart about this."_ He stated and Sidda shook her head.

"Tell your Boss to choose his clients better next time and tell him that if he wants this information he's gonna have to run over me to get it. He dealt with a traitor, a Spectre who killed one of his own and tried to kill me." She growled. "Your Boss burned up whatever currency he may have had with me."

"_I'm sorry we couldn't do business, Commander."_ He said and Sidda shook her head.

"I'm not." She stated and could hear the aggravation in the representatives' voice.

"_The Broker will not forget this, Commander."_ He stated and the comm line ended.

Sidda shook her head with a snort. "Yeah…he can get in line."


	8. Chapter 8: Feros

_**Authors note: I'm happy to have this chapter out of my life...don't get me wrong I like it the content is fine but wow...I had such a tough time figuring out how to write this and not regurgitate the game. Feros really isn't a spectacular mission anyway but I went a different direction and follow someone else. Its a little shorter than the rest of my chapters but I think y'all will enjoy it. **_

_**Ipander: I know you've been patiently waiting for this. Sorry it took so long. **_

_**Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. Please enjoy Chapter Eight: Feros.**_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Eight: Feros**

Feros was lush and green, and at one point, a thriving Prothean metropolis. Nearly 2/3s of the planet was covered in crumbling Prothean ruins with numerous skyscrapers reaching far into the sky, all connected by a series of skyways. But it wasn't always. If the archaeologists and anthropologists were to be believed, who've spent enormous amounts of time on the planet studying the ruins and barely scratched the surface, Feros had been inhabited for over 100,000 years and used to be very cold. From the way the Protheans had constructed certain buildings and the aqueduct systems told scientists that the climate required some extra measures to get fresh water to the cities. Feros' climate had warmed some allowing for dense vegetation at ground level below the buildings and skyways.

Zhu's Hope was a colony, if you could call 300 people a colony, set up in a tall stable skyscraper that seemed to be at the center of what was left of the metropolis. There really wasn't much to the colony, just a connection of prefabs and repurposed ruins along the skyway and closer to the ExoGeni science base.

The colony had been attacked repeatedly by Geth which, until Sidda showed up, was a complete mystery since Zhu's Hope had no tactical value or resources that the Geth would need. It was Saren, there was something on this planet that he wanted and judging by his behavior so far he was hunting Prothean relics. Whatever the Conduit was it had to be Prothean and everything was beginning to show the Reaper theory was true.

* * *

Cerrus didn't like Zhu's Hope and it wasn't because it was a human colony, something was off about this place he just couldn't put his finger on it. The people, the vibe, hell, even the buildings were making him very uncomfortable. It may have sounded odd to anyone else but Garrus confirmed it also before he took off with Sidda and Wrex on a safari across the skyway but this place smelled strange.

Sidda left Cerrus in charge of helping the colonists clean up from the attacks and prepare for any others. Zhu's Hope was a mess, its defenses were in shambles and guarded by civilians, no power, no water, and very little food. Tali was a big help, after a lifetime in the Flotilla she could jury rig anything and make it work and Liara and Kaidan were proving useful as well helping tend to any wounded.

Cerrus couldn't shake the feeling that something on this planet was very, very wrong. It didn't thrill Ashley that Sidda left him in charge but he was there to do a job not win a popularity contest. He may not have been the most agreeable person in the galaxy but when it came to doing a job he did it, grudgingly maybe, but he did it. No matter his views or feelings on humans he recognized when innocent people were suffering and the protector in him trumped his racism. He'd already argued with the Chief twice about moving supplies from the Normandy to the colony and swore that if he had to do it a third time he'd wring the scrawny Hispanic's neck.

* * *

Cerrus moved through Zhu's Hope's center compound keeping his eyes open trying to get himself settled. It really didn't help that the Humans here were even less keen on seeing him then he was at the seeing them. Arcelia was especially hostile toward his 'help', another Human with a grudge against his kind. It wasn't like his didn't share the distain but he bit his tongue and did what Sidda had asked and helped rebuild the colony's basic support.

With the exception of the grudging truce and still very shaky alliance he had with Sidda the only Human on board he didn't want to outright kill was Kaidan. The Biotic was quiet, did his job, and for the most part he only spoke when something needed to be said. Dr. Chakwas was another that he didn't mind but he could count on one hand how many times he'd actually spoken to her outside of helping soothe his burns. On the other hand, Joker pushed his patience farther than anyone ever dreamed and Ashley…Ashley he'd just as soon drop off a cliff but he'd settle for the Skyway.

His current saving grace was Tali. Liara was a sweet young Asari maiden but she was far too naïve for his taste and he was floored that Nov hadn't given up his endless chase for the Commander when presented with Liara. Tali may have been young but she was smart and resourceful. He truly enjoyed being around her. He looked her up and down as he rounded the corner, she had offered to help with the power situation and honestly she was the perfect person to fix it. She was on her knees in the dirt intently working on the main power junction. The Quarian had been jury rigging stuff for most of her life and this was no different. The conduit she was working on hummed to life and he heard her give it a pleased grunt.

"Nice job, Tali." He praised and she looked up at him as she snaked her small hand inside the exposed junction.

"Hmm?" she replied confused as to what he meant then quickly connected the dots. "Oh, thanks…I took one of the Mako's spare power cells; it was close enough to the older system they're using. It should make it easier when they find more."

Cerrus nodded impressed with her knowledge; honestly he should have expected that. Tali could fix damn near anything, the one person he'd ever met that could give Nov a run for his money. "At least it's one problem fixed. This colony's a mess." He said offering his right hand to help her up from the ground.

Tali accepted his hand and Cerrus easily hauled to her feet. "Still leaves them without water. I don't know what the problem is but I know I can't fix it from here." She stated brushing the dirt from her clothing and looked up at him, there was something bothering him and she could see it.

"What's wrong?" she asked and Cerrus sighed.

Cerrus looked down at her then over his shoulder scanning the colony quietly observing. "Something's not right here, Tali."

Tali looked up at him then over to what he was looking at then back to him. "What?" she asked and the Turian sighed sounding frustrated.

"I don't know…I can't put my finger on it." He stated with a frustrated growl. He'd gone soft surrounded by Humans and Asari, he missed the Lante and the highly trained and attuned people he'd worked with for so long. What was it about this place? "It looks wrong, smells wrong, feels wrong…I don't know what it is."

Tali had to agree with him, not merely to make him feel better but she noticed the odd behavior of the colonists too. "Yeah…people are acting strange…even for humans." She stated and he snorted.

"Sounds like something I'd say." He muttered and she giggled.

Tali didn't have a problem with Humans, she didn't have much experience with them and she'd had more bad experiences with Turians, but she could tell Cerrus' issues were personal. "What do you have against them?" she asked and Cerrus paused with heavy sigh.

"That's a very long story." He said and turned to face her. "I'll tell you some other time."

"Captain." Kaidan called and motioned for him to come over.

"Let me know what you need to fix the water." He said to Tali and walked away toward Kaidan to find out what he wanted.

Tali's eyes lingered on the big Turian as he moved away from her, Fleet and Flotilla stirred her love of Turians long ago but most she'd met didn't treat her as well as Garrus and Cerrus did.

* * *

There was still no contact with Sidda's team and that worried Kaidan, Cerrus wasn't as worried about it but it did nag in the back of his mind. She'd left him in charge but he wasn't gonna go charging after her because she wasn't sticking to the timed schedule. If there was one thing he'd learned about Sidda and actually respected was her ability to handle just about anything, it may not have been smooth or without heavy tweaking to the plan but she always figured out how to accomplish the mission.

"Where are you going?" Tali asked as she spied Cerrus walking past her checking the Crossfire as he walked.

The Turian paused and looked over at her and shifted his direction toward her to talk to her. "Going hunting." He stated and Tali watched him switch the ammo mod from his favored armor piercing to a sledge round. "Varren trouble, apparently." He stated though he didn't sound overly impressed with the issue, Varren were a formidable foe but not something that required the skills of an Operative like him. "You wanna come?"

Tali's smile was hidden by her mask and nodded. She wasn't really a hunter but she liked the idea of spending more time with him. "Sure." She stated and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Alenko," He called as Tali checked out her shotgun the same as he did. "keep an eye on things here, we'll be back. Anything happens let us know."

* * *

The tunnels were as unsettling as to be expected, Cerrus moved with purpose practically daring any issues to show themselves. He really didn't like to slink around as he preferred to tackle things head on; there was a very good possibility that loose Geth were down here though most of them chased after the Mako as Sidda sped across the Skyway toward the Geth ship.

"So…I heard you used to have a mate." Tali broached, and Cerrus paused mid step looking down at her unsure how to respond to that. The first response that crossed his mind was the one he usually resorted to, hostility but he stopped himself. He let out an uncomfortable sigh and nodded as he kept moving.

"Yes…I did." He answered and couldn't help but sound uncomfortable.

"What happened?" she asked even though something told her not to press. She wanted to know him better, to understand him and maybe curb the hostility he carried.

Cerrus stopped completely, seven years later it still wasn't easy to talk about. "She died." He stated and turned toward her. "Can we not talk about this now?" he asked but didn't want to make her feel bad about asking him personal questions. "Later…I promise on the_ Normandy_ you can ask me anything you want and I'll be happy to tell you but…"

Tali still felt like she over stepped a bound but he never seemed angry or upset to her. She immediately began to stammer and ducked her head away and walked ahead of him. "Sure. No problem." She stated and Cerrus studied her as she moved in front of him.

"I'm distracted enough as it is." He muttered quietly.

* * *

Hunting Varren wasn't tough and really didn't take two people to do so, Cerrus easily headshot the Alpha that was giving their hunter so much trouble. He tapped the animal with his right foot satisfied with how dead it was and glanced over to Tali crouched down by a defunct military grade APC that was probably 10 years old. He snorted to the Quarian still scavenging for parts it was probably a habit for her and even more so now that she was on her pilgrimage.

"Finding new toys?" he asked as she gave a triumphant 'ah-ha' to a piece she pulled from the nose of the machine.

"You bring me to the nicest places." She giggled enjoying having the opportunity to flirt with him.

Cerrus made his way over to her with a bit of a swagger as Tali would call it. He scoffed to her statement and shook his head. "Believe me, Tali; I'd take you somewhere a hell of a lot nicer than this."

She liked the sound of that and stood coming to his chest nearly a foot shorter than him. "Hmmm…anywhere specific in mind?"

Cerrus looked down at her. "Silversun Strip has a nice fish place." He stated and Tali giggled.

"Fish? You like fish?" she asked with an obvious smile.

"My favorite." He replied. "You?"

Tali collected the bulky components under her arms and shrugged. "As long as it's sterilized." She stated feeling butterflies in her stomach at the idea of going on a date with Cerrus.

"Next time we're on the Citadel it's a date." He said and found that a bit easier then he remembered. Asking Anara out was nerve-racking as hell. He felt the same nerves here but he wasn't nearly as babbly as he was then.

Tali was thankful for the mask that hid the rush of blood filling her cheeks. Cerrus was everything she'd ever dreamed of but she sensed that she needed to be cautious with him; he'd been through enough already even though she wasn't clear on exactly what that was.

* * *

While they were down in the tunnels Tali convinced Cerrus to stick around a little longer to see if she could fix the water problem the colony was having. The tunnels weren't safe or secure or even really stable and Cerrus didn't want to be down there, and even Tali didn't want to be down there but she felt completely safe with Cerrus standing guard as she rummaged around the networks of water lines.

Tali sifted through the dirt and rubble trying to access the ancient water line setup by the Protheans over 50,000 years ago. The colonists had figured a way to tap into the intricate system to pump water from Feros' poles but it was old so at some point during the fighting it got switched off, damaged, or just simply malfunctioned. Now, once again she was down in the dirt trying to sort out the problem.

Cerrus kept a watchful eye as the tunnels officially creeped him out. Too many things could go wrong down here, too many ambush sites. His watchful eyes were hidden under the guise of casually leaning against the wall like nothing was wrong.

"This is ingenious really." Tali stated. "The Protheans created such a sophisticated aqueduct system it can draw water from the poles to anywhere on the planet. The fact that it still works is amazing." She added but when she heard nothing from him she stopped talking about her fascination with the system. "Sorry." She said quietly looking up at him.

Cerrus looked down at her sharply not sure why she apologized. "Sorry about what?" he asked and she felt a little nervous at the idea that he tuned her techno babbling out.

"If I'm boring you." She replied.

Cerrus shook his head. "No. No. You're fine. I just don't see what's so damn fabulous about a dead race."

That was a common sentiment. "Hmm… I think it's amazing. If their tech can still function thousands of years later there's hope for us." She said and Cerrus said nothing but understood her point. The Quarians got a bad rap among the galactic community. They created a true marvel but were on the wrong side of it when it backfired. It was bad enough that they were driven from their planet, the only planet that can adequately support their biology, but they were considered the trash of the galaxy. It wasn't fair.

A heavy clunk brought Cerrus off his train of thought as Tali finished working her magic on the water pump. It hummed to life and once more the little Quarian impressed the hell out of him. "There…it's working…until someone breaks it again." She said and Cerrus snorted.

"You are impressive, do you know that?" he stated but his tone wasn't sexual and he didn't even mean it that way. "I thought Cal was impressive when it came to this stuff."

Tali smiled and shrugged. "From what I've heard maybe he is." She replied and collected the power cell and components from the APC again.

Cerrus shrugged a maybe. "At least you're better looking though." He said out loud and slammed his eyes shut with a sigh in response to his own blatantly forward comment that just slipped out. "What do you say we get back to the creepy and strange human colony?"Cerrus stated quickly, barreling past any reaction she may have had to his words.

Tali snorted shaking her head. "You really don't like humans." She commented. She'd heard his compliment but it didn't take a genius to realize that Cerrus wasn't entirely comfortable with flirting so she didn't press him on it.

That was true but it wasn't the reason he said that. "It's not that…just something doesn't feel right." He felt a wave of relief hit him as she either didn't hear his blurted compliment or was kind enough not to twist him further.

She understood his concern and moved past him. "Thank you for the compliment, by the way, it's nice to know I'm better looking than Nov." she stated and Cerrus dropped his head sharply.

"_Yep, she heard it."_ He thought to himself and followed her out.

* * *

On the way back through the tunnels Cerrus paused as his keen eyesight noticed someone at the far end of the corridor beside what Tali called the 'maintenance access' tunnel.

"He wasn't there before." Tali stated and Cerrus focused on him but he grunted a response.

Cerrus' suspicious guard went up since this person wasn't there on the way in. He didn't like it. "Get behind me." He stated and Tali didn't argue.

Cerrus moved at a steady pace closer to the man that obviously saw them both coming. He made no attempt to run or attack. His behavior was erratic though, he paced and rubbed his head a few times but aside from that there was nothing overly threatening about him.

"Are you okay?" Cerrus asked but his tone wasn't warm and concerned. It was merely a question that was required of him to ask.

"You're not from the colony…never thought I'd see a Turian and a Quarian here." He stated looking Cerrus and Tali up and down.

"What's your name?" Tali asked looking him up and down as she moved next to Cerrus.

"Ian. Ian Newstead." He stated seeming nice and not a threat but Cerrus didn't trust him, he didn't trust anyone really, but for a guy alone in the tunnels away from the rest of the colony in the middle of a Geth siege acting odd…. trust was not the first thing Cerrus thought of.

"What are you doing down here?" Cerrus asked, not interested in beating around the bush. "Shouldn't you be up with the colony?"

"You don't want to be down here. Trust me." He stated and Cerrus leveled a suspicious gaze to him.

"We have weapons, you don't, why are you down here?" Cerrus asked again as his tone got a little more aggressive.

"You think the colony's safer?" he asked and then screamed in pain as his right hand went to his head. Cerrus put his left hand on Tali's shoulder and pulled her back away from him. Ian doubled over in pain and screamed loudly like he was trying to fight off familiar pain. He started to laugh as the pain subsided. "Oh, that was a good one…very firm."

Tali narrowed her eyes behind her mask and then looked over to Cerrus for a second. "What's wrong with you?" she asked and Ian righted himself.

"Just incurring the master's whip." Ian replied and Cerrus eyed him, even more suspicious now. The way he worded that was worrisome.

"What master?" Cerrus asked quietly, the suspicion in his voice was readily apparent.

"The Geth are a thorn in the side of-…" he began and screamed again but longer this time. Cerrus was trying to figure him out. "It's like running through a thorn bush…" he struggled. "the harder you fight the-…AHHH!"

Cerrus was observing, contrary to popular belief he wasn't just a superior soldier, he was very good at observing behavior. He had a knack for understanding behavior both Turian and alien. That was one reason why he was so good at figuring out when an attack was coming and when someone was lying out their ass. This man was exhibiting behavior that made him nervous and it also gave him insight into why this colony felt so strange.

"Tell us what's wrong." Tali stated feeling helpless and wanting to do something for the man in obvious agony. "We can help you."

"Talk to Fai Dan…" he replied and screamed again then laughed maniacally to ease the pain. "don't trust them though…the master-…" Ian screamed louder and dropped to one knee. He grabbed his temples with both hands and screamed louder just before collapsing to the floor with blood draining from his nose.

Tali looked at Cerrus whose confused expression mirrored her own and she moved next to the collapsed figure activating her Omni-tool to examine him. "He's dead." She said after a minute. "What was that all about?"

Cerrus began to figure this out; Ian exhibited the behavior of extreme psychosis mixed with a little mind control. "We gotta go."

After speaking, or rather listening, to Ian Cerrus finally realized just what wasn't right. They seemed like they were being controlled by something and if that was the case it didn't bode well for the outnumbered members of Sidda's secondary ground team.

"Shepard, do you copy?" he asked but received the same dead air as he had before. After a few more calls there was still nothing. "Joker, do you copy?"

"Go ahead, Captain." Joker replied.

"Raise Shepard if you can, we might have a problem in Zhu's Hope….we're on our way back up. Lock down the _Normandy_ and do it discreetly and quietly."

* * *

Cerrus quietly called the team together doing his best not to look even more suspicious then a single Turian in an all human colony already did.

"I think these people are being controlled." Cerrus stated quietly as they were doing their best to stand far from the colonists.

"Controlled by what?" Ashley asked in a tone that was almost a sneer.

"See, that, I don't know yet." He stated

"Then how do you know?"

"Because Tali and I just had a very strange conversation with a colonist down in the tunnels." He said trying to stifle his irritation with Ashley. "These people are definitely being controlled by something…I can feel it."

Ashley rolled her eyes but Kaidan spoke up next. "So what are you thinking, Captain?" he asked. He didn't care that he answered to a Turian, Cerrus knew what he was doing, he wasn't friendly about it but he knew his job.

"I'm thinking we need to incapacitate these people." He replied but aside from kicking the crap out of everyone he didn't know any other way. "Quickly."

"A medium setting on neural shock should knock them out without hurting anyone." Kaidan suggested.

"A stasis field could work too." Liara added.

"Okay," he said with a nod. "Neural Shock and Stasis it is then. Force is a last resort, I don't want to hurt them but do it if you have to."

"Hold on. You're not even sure. You just want to attack these peop-…" Ashley began but felt his big left hand on her upper chest as he sharply pushed her back into the piping she was standing in front of.

"I am tired of this, Chief." Cerrus growled trying to keep his temper in check and not give too much indication that there was a problem to the outside observer. "Do as you are told. Incapacitate them…I don't want to be overwhelmed if I'm right about this."

Kaidan didn't want to land on the negative side of this but the question begged to be asked. "What if you are wrong?" he asked but unlike Ashley, Kaidan's tone was a respectful question.

Cerrus released Ashley but his ire but was still frustrated with her. At least Sidda knew how to listen and in the end they managed to put aside their differences and work together. "Then Shepard will probably kill me and the rest of you have nothing to worry about."

* * *

Kaidan and Cerrus made an efficient team, to avoid the Omni-tool cooldown they alternated. Cerrus didn't want to hurt anyone especially since their behavior wasn't their fault. They were going for a quick surprise attack but the damn Salarian merchant let the cat out of the bag and they had a minor skirmish on their hands now.

"Fai Dan, don't do it!" Cerrus shouted leveling his rifle to Fai Dan.

"Drop the weapon." Kaidan added also aiming his pistol at him.

"I can't." he struggled. "The Master says…"

Cerrus saw this going badly. "Don't think about the master, Fai Dan, fight it. Drop the weapon."

Fai Dan's hands shook violently as he aimed the gun at the struggling man. "I'm sorry…we didn't know."

"Don't raise that arm." Cerrus warned as he saw Fai Dan's right arm start to come up. He wasn't going to risk his life or Kaidan's and would shoot him if he had to.

"Fai Dan, drop the gun." Kaidan stated again having the same thought that Cerrus had but Fai Dan didn't heed the warning from either of them.

"I'm sorry." He said again and aimed the gun in one swift motion at Cerrus.

Kaidan squeezed the trigger and sent around into Fai Dan's head. Cerrus glanced over to the Lieutenant impressed with him. "Damn it." He cursed quietly and Cerrus made his way over to Fai Dan's body.

"Nice shot, Alenko." He stated but his compliment rang hollow for the biotic. He didn't like killing and especially since Fai Dan really didn't deserve it.

"Yeah…" Kaidan replied and turned away from Cerrus and Fai Dan's body before returning back the way they came to see if the others needed help.

* * *

Sidda surveyed the minor damage to the Zhu's Hope compound as she, Garrus, and Wrex ventured back from their trip across the Skyway. Dr. Baynum and her daughter were the last in as Sidda noticed the remaining colonists bound and unconscious on the floor in the center of the compound. She narrowed her eyes to the idea that Cerrus figured out they were being controlled by the Thorian and took obvious action. Liara and Kaidan were busy making sure everyone was still breathing but it appeared the less lethal approach worked.

Her eyes found Cerrus leaning against the crane console with the best 'too cool for school' expression and body language she had ever seen.

"So I take it you found the problem." She asked and heard a slight snort from him.

The Turians arms remained folded across his chest as Tali worked on the crane to move the wrecked ship. "I found something." He replied. "Ran into someone who was a little…off in the tunnels and his behavior suggested that someone or something had control over people."

Sidda nodded and looked around more than a little surprised with the soldiers powers of deduction. "How many dead?"

"Fai Dan." He replied with a sigh. "He didn't give us much choice. No reason to kill the rest once they were unconscious."

"Well done, Cerrus, I'm impressed." Sidda stated and really was impressed with the anti-human Turians restraint of late.

"That's not to say that some aren't injured…a few resisted…heavily." He added glancing to Kaidan who was tending to Arcelia.

Sidda's attention shifted to what Tali was doing. "Dr. Baynum says the creature is under the colony."

"I figure that they were defending this for a reason." Tali stated.

"You're right," Julia stated. "they put the ship over the entrance to protect it."

"How can a damn plant do this to people?" Sidda asked and the simple answer was: it was sentient.

"The Thorian is an ancient creature…Saren wants it for something, Commander." Baynum stated and Sidda grumbled to the 'no shit, Sherlock' comment.

"Alright, Garrus, Wrex…lets go see what the deal is with this thing." Sidda stated and the trio disappeared down the access tunnel leading to the underbelly of the colony.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Sidda embarked on her search for the Thorian, Cerrus was right, something was controlling the colonists but he never thought of a damn plant being responsible. He got the full low down while listening to Baynum talk to Liara about it all and it was enough to make his head spin, too much science…he was never good with science. Zhu's Hope was relatively quiet even with a few colonists stirring from their impromptu sleep. Cerrus eyed Kaidan as the medic tended to Arcelia. They both missed with neural shock and the feisty woman went after Cerrus with a vengeance causing Cerrus to put render her unconscious with a solid hit from his Crossfire. Kaidan had stepped up and did what needed to be done in putting down Fai Dan. Cerrus would have pulled the trigger just as quickly but Kaidan beat him to the punch.

The peace was interrupted by Sidda all but demanding help in taking care of a damn plant, sounding more like a shriek then a calm request. Not only did she ask for more help but also extra firepower in the form of industrial strength 'Round Up'. While the joke was lost on Cerrus, Kaidan laughed for about 5 minutes and informed his fearless leader in no uncertain terms that the pesticide wasn't in the_ Normandy's_ armory. Cerrus and Kaidan leapt to the task and left the rest to keep watch on the colony.

All laughing ceased when Kaidan and Cerrus found an enormous, damn near Normandy sized sentient plant had indeed taken up residence beneath the colony's heart. Kaidan's eloquent 'Holy Shit' was followed up by Cerrus' favorite curse word of 'Fuck' as the fighting commenced. The plan to kill the Thorian boiled down to the basic 'drop it from a great height' by destroying the arms that anchored it in place and let it fall down into the endless pit below.

So the simple plan of find the arms and blow them up was hindered by a green Asari clone, apparently. Cerrus had never seen or heard of a green Asari…too bad Nov wasn't here he'd probably try to charm her into submission. The other hindrance came in the form of creatures that looked like Husks but worse. When they got within melee range the creatures disgustingly vomited out toxic green goo that Kaidan took right in the face not once but twice. Twice he got hit by the stuff but he kept going. The biotic was tough; Cerrus admitted that, tougher than anyone gave him credit for. Disoriented and vomiting up the goop that got into his mouth he nearly shot Cerrus in the confusion but instead of Cerrus being pissed he grabbed him by his armor and helped steady him.

By the time the Thorian fell into the abyss Kaidan could barely walk, he was so disoriented and dry heaving from the idea of the stuff being on him and in his mouth. Wrex was covered in the stuff too but the Krogan was immune to its toxicity. Cerrus had some on the right side of his face but managed to skitter away when Kaidan got hit the first time. The only ones that were clean, to a point, were Sidda and Cerrus. Sidda had the clone's blood on her from the up close kill that she'd used to blow her head off.

"Kaidan, are you okay?" she asked as the medic's hands shook violently as he rummaged through his kit to find the toxin neutralizer that did a good job of stemming most any toxin.

_Not in the slightest_. "Yeah." He managed in a lie finally finding what he needed to help fix the problem. He hit the button on the end of the pencil sized tube and a long big gage needle appeared. With a growl of pain, disgust, and a stifled dry heave he slammed the needle into his left thigh through the flex part of his armor.

A disgusting sound from the far wall was heard drawing Garrus' attention. "Hey, Sid…" he began and gestured to the 'birth' of what they thought was another damn clone.

"Jesus Christ, not another one." She cursed as the sac dropped an Asari with deep purple skin.

"I'm not gonna be able to sleep for a week, Commander." Garrus stated obviously disgusted by what he's witnessed.

"Kinda reminds me of Krogan births." Wrex stated as the Asari stretched out to her full height.

Garrus groaned. "Yeah, I really didn't need to know that."

As the Asari moved closer to them Sidda raised her rifle. "That's close enough." She stated. "What are you?"

"Please, I mean you no harm." She stated. "My name is Shiala…thank you for freeing me from the Thorian."

"You look like the clone." Sidda questioned as Cerrus took up a defensive position behind Sidda and in front of the still disoriented Kaidan.

"I was given to the Thorian as compensation for what Saren was looking for." She stated and Sidda allowed herself to lower her weapons knowing that the others with her would cover her well enough.

"What did he want?" Sidda inquired.

"A cipher…a way to comprehend the information received from an ancient Prothean beacon." She explained and Sidda studied her trying to figure out if she was lying. "The Thorian is an ancient creature, it's been around for several millennia it sends its spores out to learn and do its bidding and in doing so it absorbed the mind of a Prothean."

"That's what Saren wants with it…" Cerrus stated from behind. "the cipher to translate what's in his head."

"And he left you here?" she asked.

Shiala nodded. "The Thorian gave me the cipher and I gave it to Saren but once he was finished with me he gave me to the creature to do with what it will." She stated. "A clone to work and extend the reach."

"Can you give me the cipher?" Sidda asked and Garrus' head snapped toward her.

"Commander, no." he stated and Sidda waved him off.

"I have the same information Saren does…but I don't understand it." She stated and Cerrus shook his head not liking the idea of trusting her at all.

"I could." Shiala stated and that's when Cerrus had to chime in.

"Why are you helping? You worked for Saren and he left you here. Who's to say it's not a trap to kill us?" Cerrus questioned his tone harsh toward the Asari.

"I followed my mistress, Matriarch Benezia…I was sent with Saren to aid in his search for the Thorian. I never thought Saren would freely, carelessly pass me off after I'd outlived my usefulness." Shiala explained. "Saren has a way of getting people to bend to his will; his ship Sovereign is eerie in that it speaks to you…changes you."

Sidda had made her decision. "Give me the cipher." She stated and the boys didn't like that, not even Wrex.

"Commander, no." Cerrus stated. "She could kill you or hurt you."

"I can't do this without it." She replied her tone indicating that her mind was made up. "Do it."

Cerrus readied his pistol, he didn't care what Sidda said if it seemed that she was in danger he'd take that damned Asari's head off. He felt helpless, all of them did, there wasn't anything to do when Sidda again 'embraced eternity' with an Asari to scramble her mind yet again. Her body went rigid as Kaidan finally made his way to his feet well enough to observe what was happening, it reminded him of the first time they encountered the beacon on Eden Prime. It wasn't a pleasant exchange if the grunts and pained noises from Sidda were anything to go by.

Cerrus gripped his Brawler tighter unsure of what to do. He knew damn well that if she was hurt by something he could have prevented Victus would mount his head on a spike in the CIC. That being said he felt helpless to what he was witnessing. Strangling his pistol grip as Sidda let out a scream and collapsed to the ground unconscious, his ire turned to the Asari he did not trust.

"It's done." She stated breathing hard for doing nothing at all.

"She's alive." Garrus stated as Kaidan slowly moved to do his job.

Cerrus quickly examined the situation and found the only thing that rubbed him the wrong way was the Asari. She couldn't be trusted, an agent of Saren and or Benezia and he wasn't about to leave her to roam the colony, they had enough to worry about if what Baynum said about Exogeni was true. He went with his instincts and fired a shot to her head killing her instantly. It was sudden enough even Wrex jumped and Garrus needed to plucked off the ceiling.

"What the hell!?" Garrus exclaimed. "What'd you do that for?"

Cerrus eyed him, surprised at his fellow Turian, for a Cop he was certain Garrus had better sense than that. "Please tell me you didn't trust her, C-Sec." he stated and Garrus glowered at him. He still had a sense of duty to him and just capping off people wasn't something he had gotten used to just yet.

"Could have warned us…" Wrex muttered. "my ears are ringing now." He stated without an opinion of what Cerrus just did. He was thinking about it too but the Turian beat him to it.

"Let's get her back to the _Normandy_." Kaidan said and was starting to feel a little better himself but still felt as sick as he'd ever been. He found a new planet he absolutely hated. "I've had enough of this planet." He stated hearing various members snort their agreement. He regretted that he couldn't be the one who gallantly carried Sidda back to the ship, again, this time it was Garrus…and if he wasn't careful someone was gonna have to carry him. He wanted to sleep for a week trying to get all that shit out of his system.


	9. Chapter 9: Ripple Effect

_**Authors Note: Here's a long one (or rather longer one) for ya. I'm proud of this chapter and hope y'all like it too. Lots of character development here. As always, feel free to comment, give feedback, ideas, whatever floats your boat. **_

_**Thank you to the favorites and follows and thanks for reading!**_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Nine: Ripple Effect**

These images were clearer now, they made more sense. It was horrifying and intense as the cipher not only translated the images but all the emotions that went with it. They were tied into the strong emotions and overwhelming guilt and responsibility she felt for Nihlus' murder. She saw it all, the butchery of the Prothean race, the dark shadow that was the Reapers, the menacing feeling of dread that left a dark empty hole in the pit of her stomach. It was a nightmare, the flashes, the images in a wash of red and black. She saw the pain and suffering of the entire galaxy all run together in a confusing flurry of horror.

She heard a voice, through the red and screams of a dying galaxy. It was familiar, a gentle male voice colored with concern. _"Shepard. Shepard, wake up."_ The rough voice became clearer, through the madness of her mind as it repeated the order.

Kaidan hovered over Shepard's tossing and turning body in the medical bed. "Shepard. Sidda. Wake up."

Sidda roared to consciousness with a scream, a mix of fear and aggression. All she saw was someone over her but she didn't register who it was right away. Her biotics flared and she dropped off the bed away from Kaidan. Her chest heaved with heavy, fearful breaths, and Kaidan held out his hands in as non-threatening manner as possible. That was a hell of a nightmare and it was good guess that it had something to do with that damn cipher she was given. The last time she'd had her brain scrambled she was out for 16 hours. This wasn't quite as long but it was identical to what happened before so far.

"Shepard, it's me." Kaidan stated trying to jar her out of the nightmare she was still in. "it's Kaidan..." he continued and moved closer to her but kept the bed between them. "You're back on the _Normandy_…you're okay."

The blue energy around her dissipated and Sidda remembered where she was and what was going on. Kaidan moved around to her as she bent forward pressing her hands against her temples. "Talk about a hangover…" she groaned. "There's too much stuff in here."

She felt his hands touch her as he helped her back to the bed. Kaidan had a gentle touch, different from Victus'. It always felt like Victus was tempering his touch so his claws didn't hurt her. Kaidan's touch didn't feel like that, she admitted that she missed the touch of a human male; the soft, warm skin, and a grip that wouldn't snap her bones like kindling if he put his mind to it.

Sidda wasn't alone in the hangover headache; the toxic goo Kaidan got hit with and unfortunately ingested tripped an implant migraine that had debilitated him for hours. He'd only just crawled out of bed when he heard Sidda thrashing around and moaning loudly two beds over. "Yeah I know what you mean." He said feeling the throb he'd forgotten about while dealing with Sidda returning with full force. She crawled, literally, back onto the bed and rolled onto her back putting her palms back on her temples squeezing her skull to make the headache go away. "That doesn't work." He said seeing her trying to squeeze the headache away.

Sidda cackled lazily closing her eyes. "What the hell happened?" she asked thankful that the lights were dimmed already.

Kaidan's brain still throbbed and he sat down on the bunk next to hers. "What's the last thing you remember?" he asked and took a couple gulps of water from the glass he had next to his bed behind him. "Here, it'll help."

Sidda took the half full glass from him and drained it quickly without a second thought that he'd already drunk from it. "The Asari…what's her name…gave me the cipher."

"You passed out, we got you back to the _Normandy_, and the colonists are all fine. Dr. Baynum promised that ExoGeni would look after the colony but I recommend that the Alliance look in on them." He stated as he felt the headache start to rage again. Sometimes being an L2 really sucked. "Oh and Cerrus killed Shiala." He added. "The Asari."

Sidda paused, opening her eyes and risked a look at the Sentinel to her left. Being Human she was still attracted to Humans and being able to see the muscles outlines under Kaidan's tight shirt. Wow, her hormones were getting the better of her as she looked returned to her previous position of squeezing her temples and hiding behind her eyelids. "Let me guess, 'she can't be trusted'?"

"Yep." He replied as he moved over to get more water taking the glass from her to refill it.

Sidda brushed that off; Cerrus' instincts were usually right on about stuff like that. "Well, that's typical Cerrus." She said and heard him fill the glasses and returned one to her before crawling back into his own bed waiting for another medication dose from Chakwas. An implant migraine was normal for him although he hadn't had one in about three months. Feros triggered a bad one and they usually included a night in medical and two doses of a medication called Anaprophol. Specifically developed to treat the awful migraines caused by complications from L2 implants. "How are you? You were covered in the toxic crap."

Kaidan groaned. "Antitoxins I had and what Chakwas had fixed that but somewhere along the line a migraine flared up." He said his tone soft and quiet reflecting how he was feeling.

Sidda gave him and sympatric smile. She was an L3 and didn't have to worry about the L2 side effects; she did get headaches when she used her abilities nonstop. She had the worst headache in the world after Elysium and it lasted three days but beyond that she had never had a problem with her implant. Talking wasn't helping either of their headaches so she tapped a button on the wall over her head and turned off all the lights in the bay except for the light over the door.

* * *

Several hours passed and Sidda was still crashed on the bed when Kaidan felt good enough to move around and made his way down to the bay to rummage through his locker. He felt the need to move and do something and he wasn't hungry yet. By all rights he could be but his stomach probably couldn't handle food right now without giving it back. He found Cerrus and Wrex in the bay and Ashley was nowhere to be found, that was about normal, if Cerrus was in the area Ashley wasn't.

"How are you feeling?" Cerrus asked and that surprised him.

Kaidan paused a moment before stripping off his shirt and putting another one on. "Head still hurts a little but I had to get out of the infirmary." Cerrus glanced over at him from the weapons he was cleaning off. The biotic sighed itching to do something right now. "You want to spar?" he asked and Cerrus looked over at him sharply a little surprised. "Shepard swears by your training."

Cerrus scoffed and nodded. "Shepard _swore_ during my training." He replied and nodded. "Alright, Lieutenant."

Cerrus didn't go after Kaidan full bore; he practiced restraint to make sure he was okay. Kaidan was better than he'd expected but nowhere near as aggressive as Cerrus thought he should be. He was a defensive fighter, a lot like Sidda but far more controlled. The sparring went from something to do to a little bit of actual training as Cerrus gave him some pointers to give him an edge.

"So where are you from?" Kaidan asked as Cerrus pulled him to his feet after knocking him to the ground. "I'm not up to date on the markings."

"Ramad, Taetrus." Cerrus answered simply. "You?"

"Vancouver, Canada. Earth." Kaidan replied as they engaged again in a fast 'fist fight' that Cerrus controlled but Kaidan finished. Kaidan blocked each hit and landed several hits that were dialed back in power. He trapped Cerrus' right arm in his grip and kicked his legs out from under him causing Cerrus to fall face first into the ground. The only reason Cerrus didn't bust his face on the deck was because he put his left hand down to brace. That was impressive he admitted that.

Cerrus couldn't help but grunt feeling the jarring pain from his palm to his shoulder. Kaidan held him there a moment before patting his shoulder and helping him stand back up. "Where'd you learn to fight?" he asked.

"BAaT." He replied and Cerrus cocked his head.

"BAaT. Why do I know that?" he asked and Kaidan set up for another round.

"Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training." He clarified and Cerrus nodded remembering that from his military training.

"Ahh…right." Cerrus nodded. "Who was the Commander of that? A mercenary named…ummmm-…"

"Vyrnnus." Kaidan said his tone a little quieter. "Terrible teacher…thought that hurting his students was a good way to teach. He's starved us, beat us, and broke a girls arm when she wanted a glass of water…"

Cerrus felt the only twinge of shame he'd ever felt when talking to a human. His people weren't exactly nice to outsiders but taking it out on kids was over the line, even he wouldn't do that. He couldn't imagine a Cabal mercenary training young humans so soon after 314. "You were the one who killed him." He said and Kaidan nodded a little surprised that Cerrus knew the story. Apparently, what happened at Jump Zero was known among the Turians. "Not a very good first impression was it?"

Kaidan shrugged, he'd come to terms with this long ago and unlike Ashley he preferred to see the good in people not just all the bad. "You guys are human..." he stated and noticed Cerrus visibly sneer to that nearly offended by the term. "for lack of a better term. You guys are heroes and assholes just like us. There's good ones like Garrus and bad ones like Saren." He said and Cerrus looked away from him. The human's capacity for understanding and forgiveness was amazing, after everything Vyrnnus did to him he still forgave him. Cerrus didn't have that capacity.

"And I'm somewhere in the middle." He stated in a kindhearted joke that made Kaidan snort.

"Nah, Cap, you're one of the good ones." He said and Cerrus couldn't believe it…he made a human friend. He liked Kaidan, he wasn't like other Humans. "A little rough but still a good one."

Cerrus stepped toward him and extended his right hand to him. Kaidan narrowed his eyes to the gesture and it was obviously a handshake. When they met Cerrus was cold and prickly, a head nod was their introduction basically. Kaidan took his hand in a firm and respectful handshake. "Call me Tyr." He said and Kaidan felt a smile tug at his mouth. He made a friend. Not only did he make a friend, he made a friend with the biggest asshole on the ship. A badge of honor Cerrus carried proudly.

* * *

Sidda's head finally stopped pounding the next day after letting Liara kick her feet around in her head to help make sense of what the cipher had unlocked. Yes, Sidda now understood what all those horrifying images meant but it didn't get her any closer to figuring out where the Conduit was, what it was, or why Saren was so hot for it. Liara didn't get much but a head spinning understanding of how the Protheans were really destroyed. Poor Anthropologists' entire academic understanding of galactic history was turned on its ear but that was about it for the fourth time her brain went through the spin cycle.

Now she was starving, she didn't feel much like eating after she was released from medical and ran a few errands, so to speak, now she felt like she could eat the ship and still not be satisfied. She headed into the Mess Hall and found a curious sight that made her stop in her tracks.

"So does that stuff come off? Or do you paint it on every morning?" Kaidan asked Cerrus as he sat across from the Turian digging into something that was jokingly called Salisbury steak and she couldn't even guess what Cerrus was eating.

Cerrus nodded before swallowing the mouthful of food. "It's a semi-permanent paint that can only come off with a certain compound." He stated and Sidda brow furrowed deeply. Where the hell was she? "Once it's on it stays there until I take it off."

Kaidan noticed Sidda looking at them with a confused expression on her face. "Something wrong, Commander?" he asked and Cerrus didn't even bother to glance up at her.

Sidda's mouth worked but no words came out for a moment as she realized that these two were actually bonding. Cerrus was bonding with someone other than another damn Turian. Kaidan was Human…Cerrus was having a civil conversation with a human. "Twilight Zone." she replied finally and Kaidan chuckled, understanding her confusion. "Out of everyone on this ship you could buddy up with you choose Kaidan?" she asked and Kaidan took that as an insult.

"Hey!" he scolded lightly, understanding how to handle being teased.

"No offense." She added and Kaidan flashed a smile telling her that he really wasn't offended.

"It's not really a choice, Commander; it's more of a lack of options." Cerrus stated and Kaidan scoffed at the comment.

"Thanks for that." He stated taking a drink from the bottle but still wasn't offended.

"Let's break it down…so both of you understand. There's the crew that still doesn't know what to do with me or Garrus, there's Dr. Chakwas who seems nice but I only talk to her when she's patching me up, a mouthy pilot that I'd much rather escort to the airlock, _you_ and we both know how that usually goes, and then there's the Chief…who is _worse_ than you and I didn't think that was possible." Cerrus explained, and Sidda moved to the refrigerator and came up with a bottle of water twisting of the cap.

"So that leaves you with Kaidan?"

"He's good at his job, he does what he's told, he doesn't fight with me for the sheer sport of it, and he's the only one on this ship I can have an intelligent conversation about Biotiball and Clawball with." Cerrus continued and Sidda narrowed her expression further to Kaidan.

"Clawball, seriously?" she asked and the biotic shrugged in defense.

"What? It's fun to watch." He defended and Sidda chuckled, seeing Cerrus friends with a Human was a galactic brain builder and almost unsettling but Sidda gave props to him. At least he wasn't pummeling everyone who looked at him wrong.

She chuckled and set the bottle down on the table and then started hunting for something to eat. "When you two are done bonding, Cerrus, I want you and Ashley to inventory all the weapons, mods, and ammo mods we have so I know what I need to get from Spectre Recs." Cerrus wasn't thrilled with the idea of doing that with Ashley but nodded sharply.

* * *

With her food collected she went into her quarters and summoned Garrus, after she emerged from Medical she got a debriefing from Pressley. The Navigator wasn't happy about Garrus taking the lead and informing the Council about what happened on Feros but it wasn't exactly like the rest of the crew was stumbling over themselves to do so. Garrus was a cop and was familiar with the Council so he knew how to be informative and diplomatic to a point while giving them enough information to keep them satisfied.

Garrus didn't know how to stand in her quarters, so informal, not what he was used to. Sidda was seated and scarfing down the last bits of food on her plate immediately feeling better. He saw a few Turian trinkets and narrowed his expression to it cocking his head as he drew closer to them. One of them was an old replica carving of the ancient Spirit of Valor. That was a strange thing to see, his people generally believed that the spirits weren't deities like Asari and Humans believed. This was a replica of a relic from a _very_ long time ago.

Sidda saw him looking but not touching and slipped into the typical response when she saw someone looking at it. "Spirit of Valor." She stated as it didn't dawn on her that he probably already knew what it was.

Garrus blinked and turned to her. "Yes, Commander, I know that." He stated as he could see she realized her error but he didn't sound offended.

"Adrien gave it to me." She said with a smile as she remembered the day he gave her that gift.

Garrus nodded and knew her reputation, after Elysium he could understand why Victus would see her as a Spirit of Valor or at the very least bring one to his ship. "You asked me here, Commander."

Sidda nodded. "Pressley said you talked to the Council on my behalf."

Garrus nodded and stood with his hands behind his back, no matter how long he'd been out of the military he still couldn't shake the posture. "I did. With you and Alenko indisposed I took the liberty of briefing the Council when they called." He stated and Sidda looked him up and down, like most Turians she'd met, they were men of action and she respected that.

"What'd they say?" she asked and leaned back on the couch propping her feet up on the table.

"They were their usual grating and condescending selves." He stated. "They weren't too happy about you killing the Thorian and wrecking ExoGeni's research to save a human colony. Then I reminded them that a Turian saved the colony…not you." He explained and seemed to relax a little as her posture remained so informal with him. "Should have seen them squirm."

She chuckled quietly wishing she was there to see them put their respective feet in their mouths. "They say anything else?" she asked.

Garrus shook his head. "Pushing for results and berating your choices." He said and she chuckled. She liked Garrus, she really liked Garrus, he made her laugh and wasn't bad to look at.

She sighed heavily rubbing her head. "Thanks for taking the initiative, Garrus." She said with a smile, despite all the 'sleep' she'd had she was still tired.

Garrus gave her a nod that she knew meant 'you're welcome' in Turian. "How are _you_ doing?"

"Tired." She answered honestly as she could see him studying her. "Liara's chasing down some leads she got after running through my brain. All I see is death and destruction."

"Don't wear yourself out, Shepard." He stated and she smiled to him. "Get some rest…we can't do this without you." He said and she offered him a smile that said it all, a big thank you, as he walked out of her quarters and left her to sleep.

* * *

There was dead silence between Cerrus and Ashley as they conducted their task given to them by Sidda. In Cerrus' mind he'd made the conscious effort to be civil with people, talking with Kaidan and actually bonding with him compelled Cerrus to try to be a little more patient and civil with the Chief. This could be a good thing or it could be a miserable failure.

"So where are you from, Chief?" he asked copying Kaidan's broach from before.

Ashley was less then receptive to his question. "What do you care?"

Cerrus grumbled to himself and shook his head. Apparently Kaidan's evolved sensibility was unique to him. He didn't know what Ashley's issue was but it couldn't be worse than Kaidan and Vyrnnus. "Fine." He replied.

Ashley huffed also and grumbled to herself, she knew what he was attempting but that didn't mean she liked him. "Sirona." She answered bitterly.

He wasn't even going to pretend to know where that was but decided to try to further the small talk. "Family?" he continued and he heard her grumble again.

"My mom and my sisters." She answered quickly her tone equally as bitter as before. "Dad died a few years back." She added and was a little grouchy about the idea that she volunteered that information. "What about your father?" she asked but her tone was less than friendly.

This was the downside to asking personal questions about someone else's life. They'd ask him the same in return. So long as he didn't have to answer any questions about his wife he was generally okay with it. "My father was killed by Humans; Shanxi bastards killed him and desecrated his body." Cerrus stated and didn't bother to look at Ashley as he spoke.

Ashley scoffed. "Should have stayed away from the colony then." She hissed and it was official…this conversation just took a disastrous turn.

"Your people started that conflict…we should have just blew up Shanxi from orbit and been done with it." He bit back and couldn't stop his hatred from welling up.

Ashley hit Cerrus with a right hook so hard it knocked Cerrus over the bench and crates causing tools, crates, and equipment to bury him. "You don't talk about Shanxi that way!" she barked.

Cerrus had to admit that was a hell of a hit but that's where his admiration ended. He was going to kill that bitch and sprang to his feet launching over the debris with a sustained growl that actually sounded a lot like a roar. The Turian stood inches from her face almost bearing his teeth at her. "Chief, you hit me one more time I'll rip your spine out!" he roared exercising an unbelievable amount of self-control preventing himself from doing just that.

"My grandfather was the garrison commander on Shanxi." She snarled and Cerrus didn't move. If there was one Human colony he knew everything about it was Shanxi, his father died there so he learned everything he could about it including who Gen. Travis Williams was.

Cerrus couldn't resist, he was gonna kick her ass in a minute anyway. "You mean the one that surrendered?" he asked and caught her right fist as she fired another punch at him. The Turian didn't even move or flinch, he knew that she was going to do that. Ashley spun her back into him quickly and tossed him over her shoulder as if there was no effort at all. Cerrus hit the ground but recovered quicker then she would have expected and now that fight was on. Cerrus responded to the throw by slugging her hard across the face bloodying her mouth instantly. Ashley shook it off and attacked Cerrus again, now she was able to let loose and kick his ass. It wouldn't avenge the shit her family had been submitted to but it would sure as hell make her feel better.

* * *

The _Lante _had returned to its mission after deviating to help Sidda blow the hell out of the secret base. After finishing with aiding a Turian passenger liner in distress the frigate returned to its patrol maintaining a presence. They were cruising in on the end of first watch and a typical day in the CIC. Maridus and Victus traded stories and chatted about the new sports rankings that had come out and so on. The day was interrupted by a chorus of alarms coming from the LADAR station.

"General, multiple LADAR contacts." The _Lante's_ sensor officer stated and Victus quickly moved over hovering of his shoulder. "They just appeared…damn near jumped on top of us.

"Identify." He ordered simply but as soon as the word left his mouth his ship shook violently as the familiar feeling of a mass accelerator weapon hit the hull.

"Computer says…" there was a pause as he checked it again. "Geth." He finished sounding more than a little surprised to see the computer spit back the identity as Geth. "One frigate and a about a half a dozen smaller ships, LADAR paints another one as a Terminus Raider."

"Battle stations." He ordered. "Weapons, as soon as you get a lock return fire."

The ship shook again and again as the Turian vessel had a hard time evading the smaller and far more maneuverable Geth ships. Not all of them were Geth though; one of them was a familiar raider. Those Raiders were a pest, maneuverable, not too powerful but they were generally out fitted with 'surprises'.

The fight with seven Geth ships was progressing as well as could be expected. The _Lante_ was a brutal war machine armed with a top of the line GUARDIAN weapon system and skinned with the best armor that the military had developed but the Geth had powerful weapons of their own. They too had a GUARDIAN weapon system that was largely similar to their own so when it connected with the dorsal midsection of the _Lante_ it was like they'd been hit by a damn meteor.

One direct hit caused a power surge through the power conduits over the CIC. "Direct hit to the primary mass accelerator." Maridus informed. "We've been hulled. Damn, that weapon's powerful."

Victus grumbled. "Seal it off." He ordered but Maridus was already on top of that.

"Done." He stated. "Mass accelerator is damaged, GUARDIAN is fully functional."

"Zara, protect our dorsal." Victus ordered but he felt the subtle movement of the ship beneath his feet telling him his pilot had already done that. "Lock the GUARDIAN on the frigate and fire. Target the engines."

The _Lante's_ GUARDIAN beam fired and impacted the Geth frigate with a powerful blast causing a massive explosion and destroying the Geth frigate. "Direct hit. Frigate is destroyed." Maridus stated and Victus hovered over the LADAR station.

"Pick your targets, fire when you get a lock." He said giving his weapons station free will to fire.

The frigate shook violently knocking Victus and Maridus forward into their consoles. That wasn't a weapon impact, it was something else. "One of the smaller ships has attached to the hull. They're starting to cut through." Maridus stated.

"Location?"

"Deck 6, section 2."

"Nov, Deck 6, section 2, prepare to repel boarders." Victus ordered over the comm.

* * *

Nov and the other teams followed their procedure; donning their armor for exactly this sort of thing. With Masso on his right and Ruvvak on his left they lead the other at a trot toward the location. "Copy, we're on our way."

Nov understood that the only reason for the Geth to attack them was because they were looking for Sidda. That made Nov angry; whatever she was doing stirred them up enough to come for a Turian frigate.

Deck six was half engineering and half flight deck. The Geth were trying to cut into the side of the lower engineering section. "Check your fire. No armor piercing ammo. Squash and concussive rounds only in this room watch the exterior hull." Nov stated taking up position on right side of the door with Desala and Kalvaris with him and everyone else on the other side. He activated his Omni-tool and opened the door after making sure everyone had their helmets on.

The Geth were efficient, they burned through the hull quickly and cleanly and probably expected to be met with resistance on the other side. As soon as Nov entered he immediately lined up on a Geth and put a round through its light making the trooper drop. The firefight commenced as more Geth poured through the breach and onto the _Lante_. If the Geth managed to get past them it would be tough to stop them before they made it to engineering.

It wasn't a big room and the Turian sized troopers were easy to handle in CQB or hand to hand but the Geth weren't as concerned about checking fire as the Turians were. They may have been using plasma but that didn't save maintenance panels that were hit instead of any Turian. One exploded next to Kalvaris and he praised the Spirits that he had his helmet on. That burn would have hurt.

The room shook from a massive plasma blast from a Geth Destroyer, one of the big ones, the hulking death machine missed its intended target of Masso, and the blast spread into the interior bulkhead behind. Nov turned and sent a tech power into the machine hoping his sabotage would eliminate the weapon before it blew a hole into the room or an important conduit. The tech did its job and locked up the Destroyer's weapon causing it to backfire. Nov fired at it and narrowly backed away from the mech's powerful swing. The flurry of biotics, tech powers, and gunfire was exhaustingly confusing but Ruvvak managed to throw two grenades into the ship they were coming from. When it exploded the room rocked and fire spewed from the breach in the hull.

A moment later the ship bucked hard like something ran into it knocking nearly everyone off balance. Ruvvak and Nov got knocked into the Destroyer like an unholy threesome and the Seargeant took the opportunity to stick a grenade to its midsection under its torso armor then dove on Nov to get him out of the way. The powerful grenade exploded and took the Destroyer with it. Count that as a win for Ruvvak. The concussive blast was enough to ring every ones bell but thanks to the tac helmets it cushioned the blast a bit.

The mixed group of team members were breathing hard after repelling the Geth. Ruvvak's grenades didn't do much to prevent damage but it sure did halt the boarding party. Nov looked at the shorter Turian and patted his arm as he leaned against the wall a moment. "Well done, Sergeant."

"_Security teams to the airlock."_ They heard Victus' voice bark over the ships intercom.

Nov wasn't sure what that was about but they couldn't leave this mess unattended. "Rek. De. Go." He said to Desala and Rajin and they were out the door before he finished. Sending a Vanguard and a Sentinel would be a big bolster to the ships small security force. He didn't know why the airlock needed security but he thought it better to safe than sorry.

* * *

The Raider was equipped with a 'forcible entry' feature at its nose. This was a slaver and pirate modification banned in Citadel space placed on the docking point of the ship that allowed nefarious people to break into a ships airlock quickly. This one was a mistake; the Raider came in too fast after being winged by one of the exploded Geth ships and literally crashed the airlock. It was ugly but it did the job. The Raider hit so hard it caused the _Lante_ to spin wildly for a moment before Ruvio was able to correct it. Within minutes their inner airlock door was hacked and the _Lante_ was boarded. If but for a few moments. A Salarian in dark blue armor seemed to be leading the charge followed by three Geth and a Turian. They didn't get far before the _Lante's_ security force, Rajin, and Desala landed on them with both feet. There was quick but violent skirmish but they were no match for the highly seasoned Turian Special Operatives that crewed this vessel.

"Down!" Rajin barked to the Salarian after her overload fired his weapon and brought his shields down as she held him at gunpoint. "Now!"

Desala had used biotics to incapacitate the Turian and slammed him face first into the deck.

The Salarian eyed his surroundings and slowly got to his knees not taking his eyes off the female Turian whose pistol was shoved in his face. The Geth were swiftly disabled and the Turian was being restrained by another Turian female.

"Corporal, secure the airlock." Rajin ordered as the cuffed the Salarian.

* * *

The _Lante_ won the skirmish but not without a lot of damage to go with it, she was a top of the line war machine but she wasn't invincible. The combat blew out several systems including Communications and Navigation, the mass accelerator was damaged because of the hull breach to the dorsal side of the ship, and she had a smashed portside exterior airlock, and hole cut through the side of Deck 6. Not their finest hour but the Turians were standing at the end and not the Geth.

Victus finally got irritated with the klaxon sounding off telling him that his ship had sustained significant damage in the fight. He already knew that and didn't need an alarm to tell him that. Nov and the teams had done an admirable job halting the boarding party, he did so well that they never made it past the section they breached but it was war to do so.

"Damar," he stated in a loud grouchy tone, "damage? And someone turn that damn alarm off."

He didn't have that answer. "Still coming in, that initalGUARDIAN blast nearly ripped us in half." He stated. "Two hull breaches including where they tried to board. Vellereck's working on a power damage assessment. Massive damage to the port side airlock though."

Victus grumbled, with his ship like this he couldn't get to Sidda to find out if she was okay. He'd have to repair it first or see if he could get a message to her. The klaxon cut out and at least that was one blessing.

Victus turned his attention to the only organics that they were captured. The party Nov stopped was all Geth and the ship that tried to crash the docking port was led by a Salarian and a Turian. Rajin and Desala stood behind them as both the Salarian and Turian were shoved to their knees.

"Who sent you?" he demanded. Both on their knees with their hands bound behind their backs, Victus eyed both of them.

The Salarian had a cold, dead expression and the Turian was a mercenary just by the look of him. He had grey skin and the full skull white colony markings of the Therin Outpost. More assassins and mercenaries had come out that small outpost than anywhere else in the Empire. The Turian was young with a very short crest. The Salarian wouldn't break, not with that expression, but Salarians were notoriously hard to torture or interrogate effectively. The hyper activity made chemical torture impossible and they were surprisingly resilient to pain. They were tight lipped to his question and he glanced to Maridus then back down to them.

"Side arm, Lieutenant." He ordered Desala holding out his right hand and she handed it to him without question. "If you don't tell me you will not like the end result." Neither one of them gave any indication of talking nor breaking but Victus didn't have the patience to deal with this. He wanted answers right now; Sidda could very well be in danger.

When there was no answer Victus quickly shot the Salarian in the head without even blinking and he saw the Turian flinch, surprised. Desala blinked also surprised and glanced to Rajin who didn't move, clearly this wasn't the first time Victus' interrogation went this way. "Do you know who I am?" he asked squatting down in front of him.

"Adrien Victus." The Turian answered after a few moments of hesitation.

"So you know what I'm capable of then…" he said. "you're gonna tell me exactly what I want to know or…" Maridus, Desala, and Rajin watched as Victus leaned toward his ear and whispered something in the young merc's right ear.

Their captive's eyes widened and he looked to Victus as he rocked back. "The Council outlawed that." He stated and Victus' mandibles clicked together.

Victus glared at him. "I'm going to assume that you were sent by the person who killed a friend of mine and tried to kill the woman I love…do you really think I care about Council sanctions?"

The Merc weighed his options, Victus was a household name in the Turian military and his legendary reputation preceded him. Being threatened by a legend didn't make him feel very good. "Saren." He said quietly. "I work for Saren…Saren tracked the destruction of Rothla back to Palaven Intelligence then to you."

"Desala, Get him to the brig I'll question him later." He ordered and looked to Rajin. "You, get to Medical and help Holum."

Rajin tilted her head to the left seeing blood down the side of his head. "You want me to look at that, Sir?" she asked and he shook his head sharply.

"Later." He said and Rajin headed out with a nod as Desala hauled the Turian prisoner to his feet dragging him out of the CIC.

* * *

Nov still hadn't stowed his weapon when he was summoned to the CIC. The ship took considerable damage from the attack, more damage than it really should have. He made his way past the repair crews and the Salarian body being removed and heard Maridus barking orders.

"Holum, casualties?" Victus asked as Holum's voice replied quickly over the comm.

"23 wounded 6 critical, no dead." The Doctor rattled off and Victus praised that at least.

"Excellent, keep it that way." Victus replied shortly and cut off the internal line. "Captain." He acknowledged.

His tone was one Nov knew well, he wanted a report. "They didn't get past us…didn't even get out the section they breached. Whole lot of Geth scraps down there now." He stated and if Victus hadn't made the connection he sure did. "It's Geth…what do you want to bet these guys were after Sid. Are we in range to contact her?"

Victus let out the all too familiar 'she's mine not yours so back off' growl, frustrated and now very pissed off. "Right now we can't contact anyone. Comm is down…help fix it."

Nov didn't care about overstepping bounds when it came to Sidda. She was in trouble and he knew it but he didn't argue with Victus instead he put his rifle on the console and dropped down to the communication system and got to work with the officer.

"Who's in range?" Victus asked and Maridus narrowed his expression, they just went through this.

"Of what? A flare?" he asked and felt Victus' glare sap one year of his life away. "Last I saw it was the _Havincaw_."

"Can we jump?" he asked and returned to glowering at the holographic image of his damaged vessel.

Maridus shrugged, the last report from Vellereck wasn't too terrible. "Engines are online. Nav is down though." He answered effectively shutting down Victus' next plan. Victus slammed both fists onto the table with a frustrated growl. Sidda could very well be in trouble and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it in a broken ship.

"Get the systems back online." He hissed. "Comms first."

"What about the emergency beacon?" Maridus asked and Victus shook his head.

"That'll call everyone too us, good and bad, I don't want to use that yet." He said and headed up to the cockpit to see how Ruvio was doing.

* * *

"I told you two to inventory the armory, how the fuck did you make the leap from that to beating the hell out of each other?" Sidda snapped as she had both Cerrus and Ashley standing before her in her quarters. They both were smart enough not to try and answer that but Sidda wasn't satisfied with them. She set her jaw and shook her head to the both of them. "Cerrus, did you start this?"

This would be the one time Cerrus could say with absolute certainty that he didn't start that fight but he sure as hell finished it. "No." he answered simply.

Knowing Cerrus, he probably was lying about that, or at the very least, bending the truth. "Chief, what happened?"

"Permission to speak, Commander?" Ashley asked and Sidda knew she was going to regret it but she nodded. "Ma'am, I told you I wasn't going to take orders from a Turian." She snapped and Cerrus shook his head that was the last time he was going to try to get to know a crew member.

"I didn't give you an order." Cerrus muttered sounding annoyed with the Chief, more annoyed with her than he'd ever been by Sidda and she was a pain in the ass.

"You badmouthed the name of Grandfather, you bastard." She snapped and thought about turning toward him but decided to stay at parade rest.

Sidda couldn't help but remember being in the position with Cerrus in front of Victus, it lead to the huge blow out in the training room that broke her rib and damn near broke his left mandible. Cerrus kept his mouth shut displaying the extreme patience he lost in the Cargo Bay. "Alright, goddamnit, that's enough." Sidda snapped now knowing how Victus felt when he had to wrangle her and Cerrus' spats for a year. "Now I know how Adrien felt." She stated and Cerrus' expression didn't change though the comment was directed at him.

He had a swollen right eye and his left mandible was discolored, there were other obvious signs of a fight but Ashley looked worse than he did telling her that Cerrus controlled the fight. He was injured she knew that but Turians were bloody good at hiding injuries. In regards to Ashley, she looked about like Sidda did after her major fight with Cerrus. She had a long diagonal gash over her right eye where Cerrus had seen fit to bounce her head off the Mako twice, to the Chief's credit she didn't back off though. The cut was sealed by Chakwas' work and her left eye was puffy bruised and swollen as the eye itself was bloodshot, both cheeks and both sides of her jaw were bruised heavily, her mouth was swollen, and the bottom right side of her lip split. She also had a very visible mark on her throat from Cerrus' massive hands but other than that everyone was upright. "I hear or see or this again, you two so much as touch, and I'll lock you both up together in a small room and see which one survives." She'd taken some cues from Victus as Cerrus was certain that he'd heard that particular speech before.

"_Commander," _Joker's voice interrupted. "_message from the Lante, they've been attacked."_

Sidda looked at Cerrus whose expression changed slightly with a flicker of worry. "Coordinates?" she asked.

"_Yes ma'am."_ He replied quickly.

"Take us to them." She ordered without a second though. Victus wouldn't tell her if it were just a scuffle with raiders or pirates. This had something to do with her that she knew.

* * *

The _Normandy_ appeared in the sector and made its way to the damaged Turian frigate. After figuring out how to dock with the _Lante's_ damaged cradle, Sidda and Cerrus went aboard. Cerrus blinked, he hadn't seen this much damage in years.

"Jesus Christ." She cursed as she stepped over repair crews to get to the CIC with Cerrus. "What in the hell caused this much damage?" she asked and Maridus was happy to answer.

"GUARDIAN blast, two of them. Had to be modified to hull us in one damn hit." He said and Sidda shook her head in disbelief.

"How many dead?" Cerrus asked.

"None." Victus answered joining the group and nodding to Sidda maintaining his professionalism. "Surprisingly, given the damage."

"What happened?" she asked and Victus gave her the abridged version.

"The Geth, Saren, or whatever figured out we gave you the Rothla information. Guess this was his way of politely telling us to mind our own business." Victus explained quickly. "We would have told you sooner but we took substantial damage to the Comms and primary systems."

Sidda was more worried about him but he seemed fine.

"They crashed our docking cradle and then tried to board us on the engineering level." A very familiar voice stated as it approached from the right. Nov, still in his armor splattered with Geth fluid with his rifle on his back. From where he came from he seemed to be doing tech work in the CIC. "But they ran into me…I talked them out of it." He added and Sidda smiled to him.

"We have a prisoner in the brig if you want to talk to him." Victus said and she nodded.

"A lot of Geth strewn across the ship…maybe your resident Geth expert could have a look at them." Nov suggested and Sidda looked over to Cerrus.

"Cerrus, get her on board and also see if they need any repair help." She said Cerrus gave her a small nod watching Sidda and Victus walk away.

"I see you two are getting along." Nov commented then noticed the swollen parts of his face. "Apparently not with everyone."

"Chief." He responded simply and Nov chuckled.

"Yeah, I could have guessed that." He stated and looked him up and down spotting what parts he was favoring. He could see the dark bruising on his left hand and the way he carried his left arm. "How'd it go?"

"I'll hand it to the Chief…she's not bad." He muttered and Nov chuckled.

"Damar, contact the _Havincaw_, we're gonna need help with the repairs." Victus called over his shoulder.

* * *

Sidda had a few memories of the _Lante's_ brig; she'd spent a little time 'cooling off' after the squabble on the deck with Cerrus that damn near broke his left mandible. That was the only time Victus parked her there but what had made it less aggravating was Cerrus in the cell next to her.

Victus still hadn't bothered to seal up the gash on his right temple from smacking into the Galaxy Map, so blood had streamed down the said of his face, down his neck, and onto his tunic. Typical Turian, you could chop an arm off and they'd still complete the mission without so much as a peep.

"You need me to patch that up?" she asked him as he walked on her left. She wasn't a medic but knew enough about field dressings to do the trick.

He'd forgotten about it, it had been an hour since he sustained the injury. "Hmmm?" he asked confused as to what she was talking about. That was just like him; he did a nasty header into the railing on the _Talas Science Station_ then fell 30 feet but never paused for a break. She pointed to her left temple then to his and he remembered cussing when it happened. "Oh, it's nothing. I'll have Rajin or Holum take care of it later."

"How'd it happen?" she asked falling in behind him to make room for a repair crew with a bulky component.

It wasn't glamorous but as of late his injuries rarely were. "Slammed my head into the Galaxy Map when the Raider crashed the airlock."

"Ouch." She said with a hiss and moved up next to him. "What is it with you and leading with your head?"

Victus laughed as he scanned his palm into the brig sensor. "I don't know." He chuckled and gestured for her to go first.

Inside the young Turian prisoner was seated on the bunk stripped down to his armors under clothes and bare feet. Seeing a Turian out of armor was still a damned odd sight. Typically when they dealt with other races they wore armor 24/7 it was still strange to her to see Victus out of his armor and even worse seeing Cerrus in his casual uniform on the _Normandy_. He was seated but she judged his height at about average for a Turian and a very short horn crest.

Victus dropped the barrier and Sidda stepped toward him. "Get on your feet." Victus growled and the prisoner looked up at him.

He wasn't afraid to admit it but Victus scared the hell out of him. After seeing him shoot the Salarian and knowing his reputation he's honestly rather be dead right now.

"No, it's okay." Sidda said and Victus let her run it. Humans were not viewed as a threat by Turians and especially not Human females so she might just get something else from him. "What's your name?" she asked calmly, trying the velvet touch with him.

When he didn't answer Victus spoke up. "You can answer her questions her way or mine my way." He threatened. "Your choice."

The Turian swallowed hard. "Dagnus." He answered quietly with a moment or two of thought. "Dagnus Lucan."

Sidda nodded and actually sat down next to him. Victus let his mandibles tighten, he didn't like that and she knew it but with him there she knew that she was perfectly safe. "How old are you?"

Victus guessed not even 20. "18." Dagnus replied and Victus shrugged internally, tall for 18.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked and the kid nodded, he was nervous, defiantly not a hardened Merc. He was silent for a moment and then answered.

"What's the point? I'm dead anyway." He stated Victus snorted; well at least he was smart enough to know Palaven Command would probably convict him of treason and execute him.

"Start talking and you might just live to see Palaven." Victus threatened and Sidda understood her lover was pissed and running out of his legendary patience.

"Adrien, please." She said and could see his posture stiffen, not happy about her shutting him down. "I know you were sent by Saren in retaliation for Rothla…what else."

Sidda's nice approach appeared to be working but Victus could tell it was more than that. The kid was scared of him and that pleased him more than it should have. "Saren put a bounty on you through the Shadow Broker…and anyone who helps you."

Sidda could have figured that, his goons had already tried to kill her on the Citadel. "Where'd you get the Geth?" she continued.

"We were instructed by Saren to pick them up from a system near the Terminus." He stated. "I don't know where and Sule, the Salarian, didn't ask."

Victus asked the obvious question. "Do you know where he is?"

"No." he answered shaking his head. "Try Noveria…he had some kind of business there." He added. "I don't know anything else, Commander, I swear."

Sidda was content with it, if he knew more she was certain that Victus would get it out of him eventually but for now she left the terrified kid be.

* * *

Out in the hall she looked up at Victus. "That kids terrified of you, Adrien, what the hell'd you do to him?" she asked with a snort as she walked along with him toward the lift.

"Remember the Salarian he spoke of?" he asked and she nodded as he went into his explanation. "I shot him right in front of him in the CIC then threatened to literally pull him apart one piece at a time until he told me what I wanted to know."

Sidda laughed as they approached the lift. "My Adrien," she smiled looking up at the tall Turian that was all hers. "Scaring the hell out of prisoners everywhere."

Victus stepped into the lift with an amused snort as she followed behind standing on his left. "Why was his crest so short?" she asked shifting the topic casually.

"Young." Victus answered. "At about 20 it starts growing in a lot faster."

The left door closed and it reminded Sidda of the prime place they always flirted. "Hmmm…what else starts growing after 20?" she asked with a hint of a smile though he wasn't quite sure why she was flirting with this topic.

"Crest, mandibles, talons." He rattled off.

"And all of them are long on you." She said casually with a flirty smile as she didn't look at him. "You must be old." She giggled. He knew that giggle; she was teasing him and flirting with him at the same time.

Victus turned to her quickly and pushed her into the wall picking her up onto his hips bracing her against the wall. "Old my ass." He growled and she giggled at his display. This was the only time she was ever eye level with him and not sitting down. She kissed his lips and he dropped his mouth to her neck. She hummed an approval, it was the closest she ever got to a growl but he liked it. He gently nipped at her neck and then switched to the other side to repeat the act. She closed her eyes and smiled moaning softly at his attention while running her hands down his crest and over his carapace.

Apparently, neither of them realized that not only had the lift stopped but the door had opened as well. Sidda turned a bright shade of red hearing someone clear their throat and Victus quickly lowered her feet to the floor and stopped nibbling on her neck. She could swear the visible skin under his paint turned a darker shade of blue. He was blushing.

Maridus smirked at the two of them. "I didn't mean to interrupt, Sir, but your quarters are on Deck 3." He sniped and earned a silent glare from the General. Sidda found it funny and giggled making Maridus snort.

"Back to work." Victus barked to the various crew members and techs that paused to witness the PDA in the lift.

* * *

Nov walked with Cerrus and Tali down to the breached area where Ruvvak and Kalvaris were sifting through the Geth parts to dispose of the threats and keep what might be useful. The room had been secured and that included any depressurization from the hull breach with a mass effect field, and the boarding craft pulled away by Balin in one shuttle then towed back to the loading bay. It was still a bloody mess, scoring marks, bullet holes, and decent explosive damage but nothing overly critical.

"Wow." Tali stated to the damage and the number of Geth parts.

Ruvvak looked down and cocked his head, not sure where the hell a Quarian came from but then noticed a rather battered Cerrus behind her. "Who's the Quarian?" he asked to both Cerrus and Nov rather rudely in Tali's presence.

Tali was growing tired of that typical question people asked everyone but her in her presence. "My _name_ is Tali." She grumbled, annoyed.

"She's here to do what Quarians do best, examine Geth." Nov stated as she was already picking through the first Trooper she came to. "Might I suggest the Destroyer, My Dear? Very stout. Excellent year…bit of kick though."

Cerrus bristled to Nov's smooth attitude toward anything female and leveled a glare at Nov that he could feel out of the corner of his eye.

"Damn," Ruvvak muttered loud enough for the three to hear while looking Tali up and down as she bent over a Geth. "she's cute."

Cerrus' glare was redirected to the demolitionist. "Linus, shut up."

His tone made Nov's brow furrow as he cocked his head at Cerrus then glanced to Tali and back again. _"Hot damn! He likes her!"_ he thought to himself and hoped he didn't say that out loud or he was going to out the airlock same as the disabled Geth parts.

Tali ignored whatever the boys were chatting about as she examined what was left of the Destroyer. "You guys really kicked the crap out of this thing." She muttered.

"That's what we do, My Dear." Nov said, obviously hearing the comment and earning another vile glare from Cerrus.

Tali shook her head and looked at the closest Turian, a barefaced one who hadn't aid anything to her yet. "Can you help me turn it over?"

Kalvaris nodded but one Turian wasn't going to flip a demolished Destroyer over in a timely fashion so he beckoned for the others. Now, four Turians were generally considered overkill but the job got done. She pulled the knife from her ankle sheath and dug around in the machine to pull its memory core.

"Anything useful?" Cerrus asked squatting down next to her looking over her shoulder.

"It's memory core. By the damage it's probably worthless but I'll pull the others and see what I find." She stated and Cerrus nodded.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked and she giggled. He was no tech and she knew that.

"Umm…I'm pretty sure you didn't attend the technical engineering classes that I did, Tyr." Nov said and peered down at what Tali was doing. "Can you show me how to remove that?"

Cerrus observed as Tali quickly showed Nov how to pull a memory core and sent him off on his own. She was truly fascinating and beautiful, she knew what she was doing and wasn't afraid to snap at Ruvvak for being rude. Maybe some of his attitude was rubbing off on her.

* * *

By the time everything was collected Tali had six decent memory cores to sift through once she got onto the _Normandy_. The _Lante_ was the first Turian frigate she'd ever been on and she didn't mind being surrounded by Turians. They were all actually really nice but she enjoyed the fact that Cerrus never drifted far, like her very own guard Varren.

Nov trotted after Cerrus as he made his way to his quarters on the _Lante_. "Hey." He called catching up to him. "So…" he began with an obvious smirk.

"So what?" Cerrus replied.

"Oh, don't play with me." Nov chuckled as Cerrus increased his pace. "You like her. I mean you really like Tali." He stated. "What's not to like really, she's sweet, smart, cute…fills out that suit-…"

Cerrus stopped suddenly turning to face him. "Do not make me knock you on your ass, Callus." He threatened and Nov patted his arm. Nov tended to be a little crude but he was never demeaning toward females so a comment like that was meant to get a reaction out of him and it worked. Damn Nov was good.

"You really do like her." He stated and nodded but also noticed Cerrus wasn't playing around. "My apologies, Tyr, I didn't mean to be rude."

Cerrus was growling a little, he didn't like Nov talking about Tali like that and it showed as the younger officer ducked his head to submit. With that Cerrus started walking again and Nov quickly chased him down again. "So…how's my lovely Sidda?" he asked and Cerrus shook his head with a snort.

"Give it up, Cal." He stated floored that Victus hadn't eviscerated him yet.

Nov couldn't do that, he tried but she was an addiction he couldn't kick. "Never." He answered.

"You don't and cross the line, he'll kill you." Cerrus said and Nov already knew that. Nov decided to change the subject.

"So how is it on the _Normandy_?" he asked as Cerrus opened his quarters. "Kinda like a Sidda role reversal."

Cerrus started sifting through his locker pulling items out and tossing them onto the bunk. "Not my first, second, third, or last choice of assignments." He murmured and Nov cackled as Carrus started stuffing the various items into a bag quickly. He paused and hesitantly took a holo-image of Anara out of his locker. He took a moment to look at it for the millionth time and then put it into the bag as well. "Can you help me get my backup armor onto the _Normandy_?" he asked and Nov nodded.

* * *

Victus was uncomfortable with her going after Saren to begin with but after this bold attack on a Hierarchy ship he was downright worried. "Sidda, please watch yourself." He said quietly practically pleading it. "He went after us. A Hierarchy ship. A Palaven Fleet ship like he was ordering breakfast. Saren is dangerous."

Sidda felt him nervously take her right hand in his. "I know. He's not going to get the drop on me."

Victus wanted to protest more but thought better of it as she guided his head down to her level giving him a kiss to try to soothe his worry. He relented, but still didn't want her to go. "I love you." He said quietly laying is forehead on hers.

"I love you too." She replied and reluctantly turned from him heading back to the _Normandy_.

Cerrus was silent and respectful as he passed his General on the way back onto the _Normandy_ after a second trip spent collecting a few things he thought he might need now. "Tyr." Victus called as his loaned officer passed by him.

Cerrus knew what he was going to say and saved him the trouble. "You don't need to say it, Sir." He said. "I got her."

Victus gave him a single nod. That, he trusted.

* * *

Tali had been so consumed by the half dozen memory cores she dug out of the Geth she'd lost all track of time and even forgot to eat. Her stomach growled loudly in engineering as she went through the fourth core. Sighing she cursed at it quickly and took a break. It had been hours since the _Normandy_ departed from the _Lante_ leaving it in the care of the _PFS Havincaw_.

As she passed through the Cargo Bay heading for the lift she could see Cerrus working on something he'd brought from the _Lante._ She snorted as she rode the lift up to the Crew Deck certain that the man never slept. It was late so she had no company in the mess hall and didn't feel like eating alone, not with Cerrus down stairs alone. She took two Dextro rations out and heated them up, they were new rations and hopefully better. These ones came from Victus as a gift for her, Cerrus, and Garrus. They sure smelled better than the cheap ones Sidda grabbed from the Citadel. Both in hand she took them down the Cargo Bay making a reasonable assumption that Cerrus probably hadn't eaten either.

Cerrus had brought a few items back from the Turian ship with Victus' blessing. He raided Ruvvak's nest of explosives, after a year of being on board Cerrus was surprised at how much demolitions the Sergeant had been able to squirrel away and it actually made him laugh. He also took his Punisher and backup armor. He was focused on the modification he was working on but heard the lift and then smelled the food.

"I'm going to assume you haven't eaten, Tyr." Tali said and she'd be right, like her, he'd lost track of time doing that he was doing. He liked the idea that she called him by his first name and looked down at her seeing two ration packs. She offered him one and his expression softened and his mandibles relaxed. Closest anyone could get to a Turian smile.

"Thanks." He said kindly and took the plate dropping the tools he had in his other hand onto the bench.

"New armor?" she asked as he leaned on the gun bench digging into the meat and gravy that made him extremely hungry the moment he smelled it. Tali copied his position and began the slower process of putting the food through filters.

Cerrus shook his head. "It's for Garrus…if I can get him out of that C-Sec crap." He stated and Tali chuckled. "How's it going in there?"

The little Quarian shrugged. "Slow…" she groaned. "They're so damaged I don't think I'll get much from them." She stated and Cerrus wolfed down the food like he'd been trained to. "I don't think Nov and the rest were thinking salvage when they destroyed them."

Cerrus let out a soft chuckle. "Not with the way that room looked." He agreed and glanced down at her as he placed the empty plate on the bench. "You need a break." He decided keeping his eyes on her as she kept eating. She looked up at him almost sheepishly. "Why don't you hang out here with me for a while…I could use the company."

Tali didn't mind that but would prefer to get him away from busy work too. "I saw you the other day," she began as he returned to finishing the upgrade to the armor. "sparring with Kaidan…"

Cerrus looked to her with a slightly puzzled expression. "You want to spar?" he asked and she smiled under the mask. His whole left arm still hurt because of Ashley trying to rip it completely out of its socket from his hand. His hand also still hit after missing the Chief completely and hit the Mako instead.

"If you're up to it." She said with a giggle. "I know a little but could always use some more instruction." Another smile from Cerrus was obvious but he waited for her to eat.

When she finished she studied the Punisher that was laid out on the bench waiting patiently for its turn to have Cerrus baby it. She picked it up and found it heavier than she thought it would be, not as heavy as some of the shotguns she'd tried but she couldn't hold it steady as she aimed it. Cerrus looked over at her stopped what he was doing.

"You ever used a sniper rifle before?" he asked and Tali lower the heavy weapon shaking her head.

"No. I'm better with shotguns and pistols." She replied as he moved around to her gesturing for her to raise it again. She complied as he moved around behind her, his giant frame dwarfing hers. She felt his arms cover both of hers, placing her hands where they needed to be to hold the weapon properly.

"The key…to a sniper rifle…is how you hold it." He said as Tali felt his hands on her body. She liked it, a lot actually. "Hold it tight." He continued standing close enough to her to feel his body on her back. "But gentle." He purred. Tali's mind clouded a little as Cerrus' left hand dropped to a casual place on her waist. "Sight down to your target, take a breath, exhale, and gently squeeze the trigger." He continued but his purring tone was enough to damn near send Tali over the edge.

Cerrus felt her arms start to tremble due to the Punishers weight as he lowered his head to her right shoulder taking in a deep whiff of her scent. He would literally kill to get her real scent but he settled for the unique smell of her suit. He reached up with his right hand grabbing the weapon by the barrel taking it from her and setting it upright against the bench but didn't move from his current position. The sparring could wait, he actually preferred this. He returned his right hand to her but wasn't forward or rude; he just encircled her tiny waist with both his arms pulling her tight into him. She placed her hands on top of his arms simply enjoying the contact. "I think the sparring can wait." She said quietly. Those were his thoughts exactly and he chuckled softly remaining in the same position. He'd stay there until she had enough of him. The sparring could definitely wait.


	10. Chapter 10: Interstellar Bug Hunt

_**Author's Note: Alright, everyone, I'm sorry that this took so long. Life and work got in the way and I started three new stories that consumed my life. Thank you to all the favorites and follows and I do hope you are all still enjoying this. This chapter was a bit of bear to finish as I tried my best not the transcribe the game. Let me know what ya'll think. **_

_**I give you Chapter 10: Interstellar Bug Hunt**_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Ten: Interstellar Bug Hunt**

It had been an eventful week already once Sidda made the decision to head to Noveria to chase down a lead. Two people so far had told her to check out Noveria for a Saren connection so it was high time she went to see what all the fuss was about.

Right now, however, she was in a gun battle. Another one. She dove to the left for cover behind a stand of boulders and grumbled with Cerrus on her left and Garrus on her right.

"Remind me again why we're down here?" Cerrus asked, his tone more than annoyed but not angry. His question was nearly drowned out by a burst from his Crossfire as he crouched down the same as her.

Sidda's glower deepened but it was hidden behind her helmet. Of all the times Cerrus could choose to become Nov he picked now. He knew why they were there on this hot volcanic world in the middle of a firefight. "Because I answered a distress call," she grumbled loudly.

"Uh huh," he responded. He was irritated with the situation. He'd told her the call was bogus but she went anyway. Cerrus dropped quickly as a round skipped off the rocks barely missing his face. That was the reason Sidda had dove into cover in the first place.

Sidda felt sweat pouring out of her skin, to the point she could almost hear her boots squelching from all the moisture pooling at her feet. This planet was hot. A Level 1 heat hazard that left her feeling like she was lasagna in an oven but the Turians were fine. Of course they were fine; they'd evolved on a planet that spent a couple billion years trying to kill them with heat and radiation. Needless to say she was irritated, hot, sweaty, on foot, and under attack…again. The more rounds that whizzed over her head the more irritated she got. "Hey, Vakarian, why don't you use that sniper rifle for something and ping that bastard," she snipped.

A simple request would have sufficed but given the situation he complied with the demand without a fuss. As Garrus readied the Spectre sniper rifle given to him by Sidda, Cerrus readied his Punisher. Sidda snorted as she watched the boys compete for marksmanship superiority.

"Left," Cerrus announced and Garrus announced that he was taking the right in the same tone.

"Kaidan, where the hell are you guys?" Sidda barked into the radio wondering where the Mako was that she'd left in their care.

"_We're on our way, Commander."_ Kaidan responded in her ear and Sidda sighed over the bark of the two sniper rifles going off simultaneously.

"Well, step on it, huh…" she said as Cerrus fired again a cursed. He missed. "It's getting hot out here."

"_Hang on, Commander, we're coming."_ She heard him say.

"Fuck." She heard from Cerrus again as Garrus fire two more times rapidly taking out his target and the one Cerrus missed. He'd gotten rusty the Sniper Rifle apparently or Garrus was just way better than him.

True to his word, the Mako vaulted over the embankment in grand fashion with Kaidan at the helm and parked right in front of them blocking the enemy fire. It also put the main gun in perfect position to render the mercenary base into rubble with a few well-placed shots as well. Sidda noticed movement on the other side of Cerrus through the borderline heat delirium she was experiencing. She cleared her head, aimed, and fired twice putting her first round through her targets head. She was good with a rifle but put a pistol in her hand and she was lethal in every sense of the word. She fired a second time at the next one and put a round through his head too. While she was focused on the enemy in her sights, no one saw the soldier that flanked them on the other side.

Garrus yelped as a round burned through his abdomen from right to left and ricocheted off Sidda's armor into the rocks bringing her shields down. "Garrus!" Sidda shouted spinning in place as the Turian crumpled where he stood. Sidda aimed and fired another headshot with perfect clarity despite the sweat in her eyes. "Cerrus, cover," she ordered loudly as the hatch for the Mako opened releasing Tali and Ashley.

Garrus did nothing but growl like any male Turian she'd ever met. It hurt; he was big enough to admit that but used his rifle to stay standing, somewhat. "I'm alright," he growled out quickly. "I'll be alright."

"Cerrus, Ash, cover! Tali help me with him," Sidda barked and Tali snaked under his left arm as Sidda took his rifle and got under his right heading to the Mako as quickly as possible.

Cerrus and Ashely piled in behind and Kaidan didn't need the order to speed away from the hot zone. "_Normandy_, this is ground team, we need immediate pick up and have Dr. Chakwas standing by…Garrus has been hit," Kaidan stated and felt awkward, as the team medic, and he was driving. "Ash, take over."

He and Ashley switched places and he dove into the back pulling various things from his med kit. He wasn't an expert in Turian medicine but he could pass until they got him to Chakwas.

* * *

The Mako landed hard on the Bay ramp bouncing its occupants a little more than Ashley wanted to. Aside from Garrus she was the best driver of that god forsaken tank, no matter how good she thought she was she couldn't compete with the eyesight and reflexes of a Turian. Garrus was a precise driver…if not a little insane. Ashley was not as precise but she was aggressive, though she didn't perform the retina detaching moves that Garrus liked to perform while giggling like a maniac.

Wrex and Liara waited on the deck as the hatch opened watching the occupants file out quickly. Sidda was first followed by Tali then the obviously injured Garrus. Cerrus, Kaidan, and Ashley were the last out respectively. Liara immediately went to Garrus to try to help as Wrex took in the situation. Blood seeped from Garrus' wound and Tali's suit was stained with blue. As bad as it looked Garrus assured everyone that it looked worse than it was.

"Get him to Medical, now," Sidda barked stripping off her helmet after the bay door closed feeling the cool blast of air on her face.

"Looks like you had fun," Wrex commented.

"Oh yeah…" she grumbled sarcastically as Garrus headed out with Liara and Kaidan. The Turian was more irritated with all the fuss then the fact that he'd been shot. "I love answering false distress calls and walking into a damned ambush," she snapped then looked up at the ceiling. "Joker, get us the hell out of here and set a course for Noveria but don't execute it yet. Need to regroup and make sure Garrus is okay."

"And if you receive another distress call, ignore it," Cerrus piped up and Sidda scoffed in agreement.

"_Sorry, Cap, I don't take orders from you,"_ Joker replied with a chuckle.

Sidda had to agree with her nemesis. "This time, Joker, you do…I'm tired of this. Next time you get a distress call, send it to the Alliance," she stated as irritated as she could be.

"_Copy that, Commander."_

* * *

Getting ambushed again made Sidda grumble like a pissed off Turian, this time it was a slaver and pirate tactic to lure their prey. Military or not, Sidda stumbled into it with gusto. She needed to start listening to Garrus and Ashley and Wrex, and especially Cerrus. Saren is the target. Chase him.

She cleaned herself up and cut over to the Medical Bay to check on Garrus. He was actually sitting up letting Chakwas tend to the two wounds that transected his abdomen. Turians didn't have the fleshy parts that Humans hand so it was _really_ hard to miss anything vital with a gunshot. Garrus looked like any other Turian with his shirt off…odd. To a Human the way they looked was odd; to her it was familiar but still odd, skinny arms, a skinny waist and legs but a big chest. The Greyhound look.

"Doctor," Sidda announced as she leaned over tending to the exit wound on Garrus' left side. "how is he?"

Garrus glanced over his shoulder to Sidda as she came into his field of vision. "I'd have to say that Garrus is the luckiest Turian in the galaxy, Commander," Chakwas stated as she applied another coat of the dextro medigel before covering the wound with a bandage. "One round, straight through, missed his spine by a half an inch and his large intestines by an even closer margin."

Sidda raised her eyebrows with a smile. "Damn, feel like buying me a lottery ticket?" she asked and Garrus scoffed.

"I'm not that lucky, Commander, I did get shot," He responded and Sidda snorted.

"Are you kidding me?" Sidda asked rhetorically. "You're like a walking Rabbit's Foot."

The Turians brow furrowed, confused. "A what?"

"Old human superstition," she stated. "Carry the back foot of an animal called a Rabbit with you for luck." She explained quickly admitting it sounded ridiculous even to most humans.

"For you or the rest of the Rabbit?" he asked and Sidda chuckled and also had to admit she wasn't sure how the whole thing got started.

"I don't know," she chuckled.

"Couple of days of taking it easy and you should be back to 100%, Garrus," Chakwas finished as she tapped a few things on the pad that was apparently Garrus' medical file.

* * *

The benefit to being in the military on either side was all the extra shots, implants, and various other things to expedite recovery time after an injury. Garrus knew he would heal but it was going to take longer than a few hours. He was sore and discovered that squatting was far less painful and bending at the waist was a mistake. He only did that once. He was ordered to rest but he didn't like being idle, he preferred to move around. Things need worked on, rifles needed calibrated, the Mako needed to stay maintained.

Chakwas referred to him as overly stubborn until Sidda kindly reminded her that ALL Turians were stubborn as hell when it came to injuries, emotions, and pretty much life in general. By the next morning Garrus felt better, still sore and tender but he wasn't going to let that keep him down. He had to work on his armor that now had a new hole in it, two in fact, so he made his way down to the cargo bay where all his gear was stored. Just because he was up and at em didn't mean he felt 100%. He groaned and he covered the right wound as he walked. Gunshots never felt good.

"Hey, C-Sec," Cerrus greeted seeing him approach them. Cerrus had warmed to the C-Sec officer but that didn't mean they got along. "how you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot," Garrus replied dryly and nodded to Tali politely.

Cerrus had already offered an alternative to Garrus' C-Sec blue armor but Garrus had declined, maybe now the stubborn Combat Engineer would see reason. "Put this on. Round won't penetrate next time."

Garrus shook his head. "I don't need it, Captain," he said firmly and Cerrus' head cant was one of disbelief and frustrated irritation.

"Seriously?" he questioned. "Garrus, you were shot yesterday, Shepard's shields deflected the round _after_ it went through you, now what's that say about your armor?"

Garrus shook his head and turned from him to find his armor and work on repairing it. "Cerrus, I told you I don't need it."

Sidda entered the Cargo Bay only to be greeted by sounds of an argument between their resident Turians. She was pleased with how comfortable Cerrus had become with his current TAD. She'd observed him warming up to Tali and more shockingly Kaidan.

"I told you that C-Sec crap was going to get you killed," Cerrus stated firmly as Garrus stubbornly ignored him.

"My armor is fin,." Garrus replied. "I don't need your 'hand me down' armor."

Cerrus blinked, nearly offended by something a bit trivial in most people's eyes. "Hand…Hand me down? This is top of the line heavy armor. Serrice Council Phantom armor…you can't get armor better than this without raiding the Primarch's closet," he defended sounding a bit shocked about Garrus calling his armor 'hand me down'. The only thing he spent more time on than his weapons was his armor. "If you'd have been wearing this instead of that crap like I told you to that round wouldn't have penetrated.

"I do not need your armor, Cerrus, mine is fine." Cerrus didn't even try to hide the frustrated growl.

"Spirits, you are more stubborn than me," he grumbled. That was hard to do, that was really hard to do. Cerrus had the galactic market cornered on stubbornness. "That is medium armor and fine for fighting crooks on the Citadel but that outdated ablative coating is gonna get you killed. Use the fucking armor."

Sidda narrowed her eyes to the trivial bickering that was getting louder and louder as it drug on. The squabbling escalated further as they reverted to teenagers about whom was more stubborn. It honestly reminded her of the boys on the _Lante_.

"Hey! Hey!" Sidda shouted trying to get over their voices. When that didn't work she whistled loudly and at a pitch that would hurt their ears. It worked, they fell silent. "Enough!" The two Turians went silent and looked down at the shrimp between them but she had a commanding presence. "Garrus, put the damn armor on, you're too damn valuable to me to lose because of shitty armor."

It wasn't that Garrus didn't want to wear the armor; heavy armor was nice but also, unfortunately, heavy. At least medium armor afforded him a little better mobility. This was more pride talking than anything else. He wanted to protest…he really did but hearing Sidda say that he was valuable to her 'too valuable to lose'. That put things into perspective. "Alright, fine, give me the damn armor."

Satisfied, she gave a single sharp nod as Cerrus actually nodded to her in gratitude. "Now gear up. We'll be at Noveria in a few hours," she stated and shook her head at the bickering boys as she walked away.

* * *

Noveria was cold…or rather…frozen, and not just frozen, its average high was barely in the 30s and that was a damn heatwave. The occupants of Port Hanshan were even chillier than the weather. A corporate capital filled with shadier characters than any Batarian Slaver ship could've ever dream for.

Everyone hated Port Hanshan, the Turian's despised it because it was snowy and cold and everyone else hated it because its hospitality was as warm as the weather.

With Garrus grudgingly laid up under Chakwas' orders he was convinced to stay on the _Normandy_ and keep an eye on it along with Liara. The rest stretched their legs in Port Hanshan. The Council Spectre and her contingent of armed associates unnerved Port Hanshan's security and ordered Sidda and company to disarm. Sidda flatly refused citing her Spectre clearance and her Turian and Krogan 'bodyguards' cackled in unison a gleeful "fuck you".

The one hassling them was a tall blonde Sergeant named Sterling; apparently, she hadn't gotten the memo that there was a human Spectre in the ranks now. She threatened to shoot Sid if she refused to disarm and things escalated from there when the Sergeant made a threatening move toward her prompting Cerrus to pull his Brawler at lightning speed. Before she knew it, it was them versus security…guns drawn, all of them, fierce gazes and a few harsh words. Sidda wasn't going to back off and had every right to run right over Sterling and her people thanks to the Spectre rank. She didn't really want to leave a body count 10 seconds after arriving though. Fortunately, it didn't come to that as Port Hanshan's security chief, Capt. Matsuo, cleared things up before it became messy.

After that it was semi smooth sailing of blackmailing and strong arming to get what she wanted, nothing was easy. Just to get in the door she had to blackmail and jump through countless hoops, it was annoying. She didn't care about the trade secrets of companies cutting corners, though Binary Helix was an appealing target given its connections to Saren, all she wanted was access to where she needed to get. After squabbling with Anoleis and dealing with Parasini, Sidda seriously considered Wrex's plan of "just start shooting…none of this bullshit will matter and we can get on with it". The funny part was that the three people who couldn't stand each other, Wrex, Cerrus, and Ashley all agreed on the same thing.

The slow progression of getting what she wanted sped up rapidly when they learned that Benezia was on campus. Somewhere called Peak 15. Sidda grouched that anything that went by a location and a number was usually a crappy place to go. So far Hanshan hadn't been a fun place to be so she fully expected somewhere called 'Peak 15' to be a circle of hell…if she could get there.

"Jesus," she growled annoyed. "all the security in the galaxy should take notes from these guys." She grumbled as she was blocked from getting to the garage due to a lack of a clearance card. She was seconds from ripping someone in half with a warp or simply shooting them.

"People are easy to search when they're dead." Wrex agreed.

"Well, you're the Turian whisperer…" Kaidan began and Cerrus looked at him unsure if he should be offended by the strange phrase. "Go talk to Lorik Qui'in and charm his pass from him."

Ashley scoffed; the soldier had been relatively quiet so far not willing to risk anymore disciplinary action because of her ongoing feud with Cerrus. "Yeah, that's just what we need…you knocking boots with another one of them.

Cerrus' mandibles clicked to the thinly veiled racist remark but let it go since her view on Turian and Human romances mirrored his own.

Sidda shrugged to the remark; if it got her to Saren she'd sleep with Cerrus to be perfectly honest. "If it gets me what I want, what does it matter?" she replied honestly, not that she'd risk Victus in the process but she'd do what she had to.

Cerrus patted her shoulder but it felt more like a slap to the back from his monstrous clawed left hand. "Spoken like a Turian, Shep."

Damn Cerrus had come a long way, being friends with Kaidan seemed to have loosened him up a bit. He still didn't call her by her first name and probably never would, too informal, but he'd heard various people call her 'Shep' so once in a while he let it slip.

She huffed heavily. "Alright, I'm gonna go _talk_ to Qui'in…I'll be back."

As Sidda embarked on yet another mission Cerrus looked to Kaidan. " 'Turian whisperer'? What the hell is that supposed to be?" Kaidan simply chuckled and shook his head.

* * *

Sidda didn't have to sleep with Qui'in to get his access card…no…he settled for good old fashion espionage. A simple plan of breaking and entering, considering she had a key to his office technically she wasn't breaking in, that's what she told herself anyway. Getting what Qui'in wanted was fairly simple, it was right where he said it would be and thanks to Kaidan the information transferred to the OSD without any fuss. She didn't take the whole entourage; with Tali off collecting Liara to meet them at the Garage, Sidda left Wrex and Ashley to mill about on the Mezzanine while she, Cerrus, and Kaidan conducted the clandestine raid. Qui'in wasn't kidding when he said half of the ESRG teams were on Anoleis' payroll and that included Sterling. They tried to be quiet but when the dirty cops started shooting all bets were off.

After the dust settled and everything was sorted out with Matsuo, Qui'in kept his word and gave her the pass while he spent his time shutting down Anoleis. All in all Sidda spent nearly six hours being Port Hanshan's handyman, fixing every ones problems and putting crooked businessmen out of business.

Irritated and a little insulted by the random comments, she made her way to the garage where Li was chatting with Garrus of all people. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Going with you," he replied as he shifted a bit in the jet black armor that Cerrus finally got him into. He wasn't used to heavy armor…damn it was heavy and a little big. Cerrus was a little broader than he.

"Oh like hell you are…you're still on the injured list," she stated as Cerrus looked the shorter Turian up and down assessing how he looked in his back up armor.

"If there's a chance Saren's here you need me, Sidda," he pressed and Sidda sighed. She didn't have the time or energy to argue with him.

"Fine," she huffed with a grumble. "Stubborn ass, Blue Jay" she cursed and both Garrus and Cerrus were confused by the translation but the two humans laughed. "Kaidan, Ash, Tali, keep an eye on things out here…I'm not sure I trust the Elanus Risk Guards or anyone else here for that matter."

The trio nodded and Sidda turned her attention to the rest. "Everyone else…lets go hunting."

In the bustle of everyone filing onto the elevator Tali lightly grabbed at Cerrus' left hand catching it with her right. He paused and looked down at his hand then to her. "Be careful, Tyr."

The Turians face relaxed a bit as he smiled then gave her a small respectful bow of his head. "I will," he replied quietly and squeezed her fingers lightly before following the party into the elevator. Tali blushed wildly and smiled under her mask, Cerrus talked a big game but under all that irritation and bad attitude he was a sweet heart.

* * *

All the fuss Garrus put up about coming along quickly vanished. Noveria was a giant ice ball and though neither Turian complained outright Sidda heard the distinct grumbling from both of them. The same type heard from Nihlus and Nov on Terra Nova during its winter. It was one of those things that just made her chuckle. Wrex wasn't exactly relishing the biting cold either but luckily they got to stay in the Mako for the most part.

Just as Sidda figured Peak 15 was anything but good, already knowing they were on the right track as they had to step over or run over, Geth every step of the way. Peak 15 was an isolated Research Lab contracted by Binary Helix, the company Saren had ties too. It was peculiar that Hanshan hadn't heard from Peak 15 since Benezia passed through. That couldn't be anything but bad which was why she brought 'heavy hitters' with her. Even if one of them was still mending.

It was eerily quiet, she hated quiet…Cerrus did too. If there was one thing they agreed on it was their mutual attraction of disaster. "I don't like this place," Sidda said quietly.

The group agreed in various ways but the two Turians remained on high alert. "This place smells wrong," Wrex said as they entered the mess hall.

"When a Krogan gets the wiggins, we're screwed," Sidda muttered as they moved forward and were attacked by those god forsaken Stalkers. The initial skirmish with the Geth was quick but that wasn't the end of it.

"What happened here?" she asked noticing that it was a mess hall, food was frozen to the plates and the room was a wreck. Someone came in right in the middle of a meal and made a mess, the funny thing was there were no bodies.

"No bodies," Liara noted voicing her thought.

The silence was shattered with the shrill of something completely inhuman drawing their attention to the far wall that was the exit. The bug like creature leapt at them but they all fired their various weapons and were able to drop it before it got too close them. The amount of gunfire actually made Sidda's ears hurt.

Cerrus moved forward and tapped the thing with his toe pointing his rifle at it. "What the hell is that?!" Sidda exclaimed seeing the carcass of the oversized mutant roach.

"Spirits…" Garrus began. "I think that's a Rachni."

Sidda's eyes narrowed. "Rachni?" she asked. "As in Rachni, Rachni?"

"As in the ancient enemy?" Wrex added looking at the giant bug. "Excellent."

Cerrus decided right then and there that he hated missions with Sidda. Only she could find the one damn planet in the galaxy that had fucking Rachni. "You gotta be kidding me?"

The five of them heard the same shrieking, shrilling noise they heard before they were attacked but this time it was louder and everywhere. "We are in serious trouble," Sidda stated and Garrus, Liara, and Cerrus had to agree. Wrex, however, laughed.

"Hahaha! Let them come!" Wrex shouted readying his shotgun.

Sidda had to admit Wrex's enthusiasm certainly made life enjoyable. On the far side of the room the grates along the wall were shoved up hard enough to send them clattering across the deck. Rachni poured out of the openings first one, then two, then several. "We are in very serious trouble!" she announced, seeing the horde of giant bugs flooding the ground before them. Nothing else needed to be said as nothing could be heard over the gunfire that ensued.

* * *

Sidda was still in her armor when she stood before the Council in the Comm Room on the _Normandy_. Noveria gave a whole new meaning to the term 'Corporate Warriors'; she handled espionage, insider trading, blackmail, run away science experiments, giant intelligent interstellar bugs, and managed to cure an illness…all in a day's work but now she wanted to crawl into her bunk and sleep for a week. She rubbed her face with an exhausted sigh.

"You let a Rachni Queen go?" Sparatus barked his tone one of shock and anger. "Commander, are you out of your mind?!"

"She was no threat to us so I made a deal. I'm not in the business of exterminating entire races on a whim," Sidda replied, honestly she could understand their worry. The Rachni damn near wiped out the Salarians and the Asari at once, now Sidda allowed a Queen to go free.

"How can you be so sure the Queen poses no threat?" Valern asked, the Salarian was by far the most nervous about the Rachni back on the loose; they turned to the Krogan 2,000 year ago when their war went to hell in a handbasket. She expected the reaction from Sparatus and Valern but couldn't' get a read on Tevos.

"_Here we go."_ Sidda thought, this next statement was going to get a reaction from all three of them and she knew damn well none of them were going to be favorable. "She promised to disappear and live in peace if I let her go." Sure enough all three councilors spoke at once.

"What?!" was heard first from Tevos as Sparatus' bark of 'Commander' was run over by Valern's 'Are you insane?'

Sidda's sigh reflected her mood. "I made a call," she defended. "Saren lost his research and his Lieutenant today. I call that a win in my book."

"Commander, the Rachni cannot be trusted," Valern snapped obviously not satisfied with her judgement call. "This is reckless and irresponsible."

"I will have to agree, Commander, you should not have made this deal without considering the long term consequences. This goes far beyond Saren and the Geth," Tevos stated and was prepared to continue but Sidda held up a hand.

"Enough," she snipped growing annoyed. "You weren't there so you don't get to judge my decisions."

"That's not how it works, Commander, and you know that," Sparatus scolded.

"I am asking you to trust me," Sidda stated firmly. "I was right about Saren, I was right about the Reapers, you need to trust me."

Sparatus was irritated. Very irritated. "Commander, your people have a saying 'Even a broken clock is right twice a day'," he stated and Sidda nearly ordered Joker to the Citadel so she could kick that Turian's ass.

"We have another saying, Councilor, 'go to hell'," She spat back.

Hologram or no Sidda could feel the Turian's glare as his eyes narrowed fiercely.

"This is not helping," Tevos intervened, stopping the ensuing argument. "Commander, we do trust you we only ask that you take long term consequences into account when making your decisions. The Rachni were a threat long before your people joined the Galactic community. Please bear out concerns in mind in the future," Tevos stated and though she was trying to be neutral and diplomatic she came across as condescending.

Sidda understood and nodded but didn't submit. "I will do what is necessary to find Saren and stop the Reapers and I don't much care who I piss off to get there," she said and watched the members squirm before her. "You have my report so what's done is done. Benezia is dead and the next stop is Saren himself."

"Yes, Matriarch Benezia, how is Dr. T'Soni?" Tevos asked and Sidda gave her a shrug.

Sidda's sigh was evident; she was frustrated and troubled about what Benezia had said about the ship and this 'indoctrination' that could turn an Asari matriarch against the galaxy. "She watched her mother die…how do you think she's doing?"

Her snappy tone put the three of them in their place. "Please give out condolences, Commander, and thank you for your report," Tevos said politely leaving the briefing at that.

The unit went blank and Sidda sighed heavily. She'd rather fight a horde of bad guys then deal with them. Sparatus was fairly simple to handle but he treated her like most Turians outside the _Lante_ did, with distain. Tevos was a typical condescending Asari and Valern was a nervous wreck like any other Salarian she'd ever met.

Kaidan entered the room and noticed Sidda braced on the communications terminal. "You alright, Sidda?" he asked and she simply cocked her head to the right to acknowledge his presence.

"How's Liara?" she asked and he walked toward her.

"She's hanging in there," he said and she stood up straight rubbing her face with her right hand. "How are you?"

Taking out Benezia was a victory but it didn't feel like a win. More questions were asked than answered and Sidda now had something called Sovereign to deal with, a ship with the power to warp peoples' minds. She sighed heavily and turned toward him with a smile patting his chest. "I'm good, Kaidan." She said quietly but he didn't believe her.

* * *

Hours passed and Sidda sat at the desk in the quarters pouring over all the information they'd been able to gather from Peak 15. The Rachni, the Geth, Benezia…the puzzle pieces were falling into place but it was still clear as mud. It troubled her to realize that Benezia was almost an unwilling participant in all this, this indoctrination that the ship could perform was unnerving. It was a damn ship how was that possible? This was the time she started to second guess herself. The Council was right, how could she let a Rachni Queen go on its word that it would live in peace?

Fiddling with the Turian pendant on her tags she decided she wanted to talk, but not to anyone onboard. Victus' face appeared on the screen and she smiled instantly feeling better. "Hey," she greeted with a broad smile. "how're the repairs coming?" she asked.

"We're at the Apheus shipyards…it's going to take some time but we'll be back on our feet in a day or two," he answered directly and observed what he could of her through the monitor. "Everything okay, Sid?"

She gave a halfhearted smile and scoff. "Really, really long day…and an even longer week," she replied tiredly.

Victus tossed something away from him and she heard it land somewhere in his quarters. "Okay, talk to me," he said and found a comfortable place to listen.

"Well…I walked my team into an ambush yesterday, I nearly boiled alive in my suit, Garrus got shot…then I followed a lead on Saren to a frozen hellhole where I had to deal with everything from insider trading to giant bugs," she summed up and heard Victus snort in amusement.

"It's not easy being the boss is it?" he said and she scoffed.

"Even less so when you're chasing a traitor without all the pieces," she added and Victus had to admit that made things a whole lot trickier. "I also realized just how screwed we truly might be."

"How do you mean?" he asked and leaned in on the desk.

Sidda still didn't know but Benezia's explanation of what happened to her and the ship called Sovereign made her nervous. "I'm not sure yet, but I'm pretty sure whatever it is won't end well unless I get out in front of this and nail Saren's ass to the wall."

"Sid, if you need me you call me…I don't give a damn what it is," he said not really sure what was troubling her beyond the lingering guilt of Nihlus' death. The best he could do was offering his support. After Saren attacked the _Lante_ he had no problem stepping up to knock the shit out of the fellow Turian.

He saw a small smile grace her face and she leaned closer to the monitor on her desk. "Thank you, Adrien."

"You should sleep, Sid, you look tired," he advised and she nodded in agreement.

"I think I'll do that," she replied. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Any time," he said with a nod. "And when this is over, you, me, and however many weeks of leave we can get on the Citadel," he added and she giggled loving the sound of that idea.

"Now that's a deal, General," she giggled, the idea of R&amp;R on the Citadel with him something she could get used to. They weren't married and probably never would be but Garrus was right, they were close enough.

"Now, you rest and watch your back out there," he said sounding more like an order. "I love you."

Sidda nodded to his standing order for her to stay out of trouble. "I love you too," she replied and the screen went black.

* * *

Cerrus thought that he was the only insomniac on ship; he really didn't expect Tali to be up at 03:30. "What are you still doing up?" he asked looking down at her as she sat leaning against the wall. Noveria took a lot out of everyone, it was a damn nightmare. When he was forced into this assignment he never thought that he'd be fighting the Rachni.

"Oh…I can't sleep on this ship…it's too quiet," she answered sounding tired and Cerrus looked down at her with a furrowed expression.

"I would think that quiet is conducive to sleep," he stated and shrugged. "Of course I'd have to defer to you on that seeing as how I don't do it much."

Tali giggled slightly. "Not for a Quarian," he replied as he actually sat down on the floor beside her. She was surprised when he pulled her over to lean on him. Pulling her back to his chest, Tali adjusted her position and settled into his arms as he wrapped them around her. "I'm used to the sound of engine noise and air processors and power conduits…when it's quiet I get worried."

"Don't worry," he soothed and stopped himself before he sounded like a total idiot 'I'm here' would be way too much.

"I don't worry when you're around," she said softly with a sweet giggle and Cerrus blinked. It sounded by far better coming from her. He blushed and thanked the Spirits that she didn't see that. "So…what happened to your wife?"

Cerrus tensed slightly and she could feel that before he forced himself to relax. It hurt…it really did. "She died," he replied quietly going with the most vague and easiest answer he could find.

"How?" she asked chancing that she could talk to him about this and not make him upset or angry. She took his right hand with hers and fiddled with lacing her fingers with his.

Cerrus sighed a little. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "She was on an op…I don't have clearance to know what it was."

"What was she like?" Tali asked and Cerrus, for the first time ever, answered freely.

"Her name was Anara," he stated, his voice sounding a little shaky at first. "she loved shotguns…just like you." Tali giggled and Cerrus found it strange that he was comfortable enough to talk about this with another female he liked as much as Anara. "She wanted nothing to do with me when I met her. I had to track her down and beg her to go out with me."

Tali couldn't picture Cerrus begging for anything. "You begged? Be serious," she laughed and Cerrus chuckled.

"I am," he replied as a chuckle rumbled through his throat. "I finally got her to go dinner with me and I married her not long after that." Tali could feel his right cheek on the side of her head. "On a mission she was all business…but at home...she was the best cook I'd ever met."

Tali was happy with the information he was sharing, but sensed his unease about the topic. "You miss her don't you?" she asked and Cerrus took in a deep breath.

"Every day," he answered honestly but didn't want to make this conversation turn into him wallowing in his own misery. He still loved Anara and always would but Tali was different than any other woman he'd met in a while. He decided to shift the topic away from the way it was going. "What about you? I know you're on your pilgrimage and you got wrapped up in this mess. What else? Tell me about your family."

Tali shrugged in his arms. "My mother died a few years ago and my father's an Admiral, serves on the admiralty board."

"Your fathers an Admiral?" he questioned, he wasn't an expert on the Quarians but he knew a few names.

Tali nodded. "Rael'Zorah."

Cerrus watched as she fiddled with his talons enjoying the feeling of her fingertips caressing his hand. "I don't know him," he said letting her do what she wanted with his hands. "Han'Gerrel we know, he's good in a fight," he stated and Tali wasn't surprised to learn the Turians were familiar with the heavy fleets commander. "What's your father like?"

"Duty oriented," she answered quickly then was quiet for a moment, she loved her father but he was more like a Commanding officer than he was a father to her. "He would hate you," she said and Cerrus laughed.

"I'm used to that. Anara's father hated me too," he stated and remembered the old Turian's glower when they first met. "Shepard calls me an 'acquired taste' and I'm inclined to agree."

"I don't think you are," she said simply. "You just don't make it easy for people to understand you, that's all." He didn't know what to say to that, he knew he was hard to read, nearly everyone told him that. Tali settled into him and closed her eyes. The floor wasn't terribly comfortable but he was.


	11. Chapter 11: Hangovers and Raids

_**Note: My apologies for the long delay for this one. I got sidetracked by my new Dragon Age story so this one got bumped to the back burner. I do hope y'all enjoy this one it's been half written for months and I finally finished it off. This one is all original so I hope you enjoy it.**_

_**As always, I thank you all for the favorites and follows. Feedback is greatly appreciated. FlowerMaiden05: this ones for you, thanks for the kind review.**_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Eleven: Hangovers and Raids**

Garrus had no idea he could fit this many people in his apartment. It was barely 500 square feet and fairly basic, the typical unit assigned to single C-Sec personnel. It was fine for him; he was usually never there anyway. Standing it wasn't so bad but crashing where they fell was something else entirely. The apartment was the size of a locker so having his couch, chair, and a few other items made his tiny apartment shrink even more. Coming off the success of Noveria the crew needed a night off and a night off is what they got.

He stood in the doorway between his bedroom and the living room looking at it like the day after a battle. After the mutual consumption of alcohol, Garrus had felt it best that people come to his apartment and not try to stumble back to the _Normandy_ and risk getting the 'public intoxication' citation from C-Sec. That's all he needed, drunk and disorderly calls answered by those he used to work with.

**24 Hours Earlier

Sidda traded her armor for her blue Alliance casual uniform and stood before Anderson and Udina. She was 'explaining' herself to Udina for her recent rash of missions that could only be summed up into 'what the fuck'.

"Commander, just what the hell have you been doing out there?" Udina asked. "Therum, Rothla, Feros, and now you unleash the Rachni on the galaxy?"

Sidda lifted an eyebrow at him, she didn't like Udina, sniveling little piss-ant. She dealt with her mission in her own way considering its unique parameters. Granted, she went a little drastic on occasion but it was what she needed to do. "One queen is hardly 'unleashing', Udina," she stated and the Ambassador's eyes narrowed at her.

"Don't split hairs, Commander," he warned sternly. "You've made a mess of things and the Council is not happy either. Sparatus was in here not long ago barking about your version of 'human sayings'."

Her chuckle was enough to make him huff and Anderson smirk. "I can give him a few more," she offered but Udina's expression was cold as ice to her and she sighed. "You can't sit here and side seat drive," she said and paced a little; while she was up here her crew was restocking the _Normandy_ or just taking some personal time. The general consensus was that they were all going to go out and have a drink or two. Try to unwind after weeks of all go no quit. "It's not exactly ideal, I get that, but trust me…I'll try not the blow up the galaxy."

"Not exactly encouraging, Commander," Udina replied and Sidda snorted with a shake of her head.

She rolled her eyes and caught Anderson's 'be nice' expression. "Just let me do my job, Udina, and you do yours."

The discussion with Udina was like talking to a damn wall or a hamster running on a wheel. She told him the same thing six different ways a hundred times, by the time she left she needed a drink or at the least had the incredible urge to bang her head against the wall.

* * *

Cerrus leaned back on the bench outside the Human Embassy, he didn't like being there, it was strange. Being on the _Normandy_ didn't help his feelings toward humans; Kaidan was the only one that he could stand, him sitting within 20 feet of the Embassy made it seem that the universe was on tilt.

"Hey, Tyr," he heard a voice call and a regulation Biotiball landed in his lap. He treated it like a hot potato at first bouncing it from one hand to another a few times until he gained control of it, "what are you doing up here?"

He sat up straight and looked up at Kaidan, the only human who would be talking to him right now so informally. "Friend of mine works at the Embassy," he answered simply tossing the ball back to him.

"You have a friend?" Kaidan joked and Cerrus snorted.

"Acquaintance, then?" he rephrased and Kaidan laughed loudly sitting down next to him. "What's with this?" He asked tossing the ball from hand to hand.

"Picked it up at a shop in Zakera," he answered catching the ball as Cerrus casually tossed it back to him.

"Did you play?"

Kaidan shrugged slightly. "Only a little, academy team for a minute, I think Shepard played too."

Cerrus grunted and shook his head. He vaguely remembered that detail though he didn't know why, he didn't attend her birthday bash on the _Lante_ but word had gotten around about the betting between her and Desala. "Shoulda grabbed a Clawball…better sport."

Kaidan scoffed with a chuckle fiddling with the ball. "Regulation Clawballs are hard to find on Zakera Ward…try Shalta," he replied and heard Cerrus chuckle. "Are you coming out with us tonight?"

He'd heard the crew was doing out to celebrate an actual victory in this mess. Killing Benezia was a shot in the arm for everyone but Liara. Cerrus shook his head and leaned forward bracing on his elbows. "Nah…," he replied. "I'm not good company for that."

"Oh, come on, Tyr, you're good company when you're not such a hard ass," Kaidan urged trying to convince the misunderstood Turian to come out and have a drink with the rest of them. "Besides, I think Tali said she was coming along." Kaidan's attempt at subtly came through like a damn bomb and Cerrus looked over her him with a mixed expression. "Don't think we haven't noticed, Tyr, you aren't as subtle as you think."

Cerrus' audible groan was a mix of irritation and resignation. "Alright, alright…if it means that much to you I'll come."

Kaidan snorted loudly through a laugh. "If it means that much to me…you lying ass," he chuckled and slapped his shoulder. "Come on…let's go find you a Clawball."

"Me running around Zakera Ward…yeah, nothing can go wrong there," Cerrus muttered as he paced Kaidan.

"I'll protect you," Kaidan sniped back and Cerrus scoffed.

"Not me I'm worried out."

* * *

Cerrus made a few stops before he joined the rest of the party in the Constellation Club. He'd never been to that one but it was less shady than Chora's Den. He questioned the wisdom of going out given his lack of patience for Humans, mixing that with alcohol was a recipe for disaster but he bit the bullet and went anyway. He was dressed casual but his clothing was military grade and qualified as light armor. He figured some type of armor was better than none if he was wading into a club with drunken humans in it.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked as he saw Tali scurrying past him in the opposite direction.

"Somewhere else," she said and her shyness made him cock his head. Tali ducked her head and moved to leave but he put a hand on her shoulder stopping her.

"What happened?" he pressed his tone a mix genuine concern and protectiveness.

"The Constellation bouncer won't let me in, he said if I tried to get in again he'd call C-Sec and have me arrested for vagrancy…then he called me 'suit-rat'," she explained and tried to hide the pain of the hurtful words but Cerrus stood up straighter, his body coming its full 6'6" height.

His mandibles clinched reflecting his anger. "Come on," he gestured for her to walk back the way she had come from.

Tali hesitated a moment trying to figure out what he was going to do. "What?" she asked. "It's not im-…" she began but he turned on her silencing her.

"Tali," he began his tone told her everything. He didn't like her being treated like that, "let's go."

The Quarian smiled behind her mask, Cerrus really did like her and she liked him. She trusted him and had to admit whatever he was gonna do was going to be fun to watch. She broke into a jog to catch up to him and his purposeful pace.

The Turian bouncer sneered seeing Tali returning after telling her not to but his attention shifted to the tall Turian with her for a moment then he looked back down at Tali. "What? You can't hear in that helmet?" he sneered. "I told you not to come back, Quarian." Cerrus stepped forward drawing his attention once again and stood mere inches from him. The guard was young, probably a military wash out. His fringe was short and Cerrus guessed he was barely over 20 with the yellow mandible markings of Digeris. He was also at least two inches shorter than Cerrus. "What?" the guard questioned in a tone that Cerrus wanted to knock out of him, "this little suit-rat bitch your toy?"

Cerrus took offense to those words and shoved the guard the 6 inches into the wall before grabbing his tunic and yanking him back to him. Cerrus brought his left knee up hitting the young Turian right in the abdomen effectively knocking the wind out of him then held him with his left hand as he punched him hard across the face with his right fist. Cerrus' hit bloodied his mouth immediately and dazed him to some degree. There on his knees he felt his left arm get jerked hard behind his back as Cerrus bent it back as far as it could go without snapping. The younger Turian howled in pain but Cerrus didn't care, he held the guards left arm firm from behind and splayed his hand on top of his head yanking it back.

"Alright, asshole, now listen. Her name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, not 'Quarian' and certainly not 'suit-rat'," he growled in the young ones left ear. "Say it!" raising his tone from a growl to a bark.

"T…Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," he repeated quickly and Cerrus held him firm.

"Now you apologize to her for your behavior," he instructed and the guard hesitated. Either he didn't want to or the pain in his abdomen and arm caused him to hesitate a moment. "Now! Or so help me I will rip your arm out," he snarled adding a sharp jerk to the already hyper extended limb.

The guard yelled in pain again. "I'm sorry!" he yelled. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to insult you."

Cerrus looked up at Tali, who was probably shocked as hell with what he was doing right now. "If you give her any more trouble I will come back and kick your ass from one side of the Citadel to the other," he threatened, his growl was enough to make the toughest persons' skin crawl with dread. He put his mouth closer to his ear and issues his final threat. "And if I ever hear you call another Quarian 'suit-rat' I'll tear you in half."

Cerrus released him with a shove causing him to topple to the floor. Tali looked Cerrus up and down as he straightened his clothing. In the literally thousands of times she'd seen Fleet and Flotilla she's always dreamed of romancing a Turian, they were dashing and handsome. So far she'd found no one she was interested in, all the Turians she'd met so far on her pilgrimage either paid her no mind or treated her like that guard. Garrus was nice to her and handsome in a dangerous sort of way, Nov openly flirted with her but she suspected that he flirted with anything female, but Cerrus…Cerrus was a mystery. He was kind to her and helped her but she could see the torment, whatever had happened to him haunted him. She didn't know if he defended her just now because he was a friend or if it was because of something else, they'd grown close but she didn't want to assume anything with him. Cerrus had been through enough in his life and it had colored him, nearly ruined him.

Tali had said nothing during his educational program and Cerrus actually worried that he'd scared her. He didn't think that she scared easily, she may have been a somewhat timid little Quarian but she was braver than most people he'd met. He suddenly felt a pang of embarrassment for what he just did and his face reflected that. "Shall we, Tali'Zorah?" he asked masking his adolescent embarrassment and gestured for her to walk with him into Constellation to meet the rest.

Tali nearly bounded up to him and wrapped her right arm around his left. "You're sweet, Tyr," she said and he purred a little, surprising himself to no end.

He'd been called a lot of things, mostly derogatory insults, but 'sweet' was never one of them. Even his mate had never called him sweet. "Sweet, huh?" he commented. "I'll take it."

* * *

Kaidan couldn't help but look at Sidda in a sexual way, she was one of those women who tended to cause a stir no matter where she was, what she was doing, or what she was wearing. As of now, dressed her casual blue Alliance uniform, of course it wasn't revealing in any way, but Sidda had curves that he enjoyed looking at. She was bent over the pool table lining up a shot and Kaidan had to blink quashing the sexy image before him. She was taken he reminded himself and returned his attention to the game. When they entered the bar Sidda and Kaidan had both spotted the pool table and practically pounced on it. Ashley had showed up a few minutes after they did and then the rest, with the exception of Tali and Cerrus, showed up at the same time. In the meantime, Sidda and Kaidan carried on their game.

As their illustrious leader in all this, Sidda kicked it off by buying the first several rounds. The only one not in the mood to celebrate was Liara; the poor girl lost her mother. No matter what side Benezia landed on she still felt the loss. To her credit, she showed up for team moral.

"You gonna shoot sometime soon, Shepard?" Kaidan asked and Sidda simply looked up at him as she confidently took her shot without looking away from him. It was worth it to see him groan as the cue sent two stripes into various pockets. "Oh, come on, Sid, you could have been a little gentler," he said and Sidda chuckled as she downed her shot of scotch.

"Buck up, Lieutenant," she grinned and Kaidan simply smirked back at her then watched as she surveyed the table for her next shot.

"Look who decided to show up," Kaidan said noticing Tali walking up with Cerrus.

Cerrus merely shrugged at him as Tali passed between them. "Had a discussion at the door," he said simply as Garrus passed him a drink, Turian brandy by the smell of it.

"Join the party, Cerrus," Garrus welcomed and raised his glass to the fellow Turian.

A curse from Sidda drew their attention to her at the pool table. She had attempted a shot and missed and was now slumped over the table cursing out loud. "Oh, look, I get a shot finally," Kaidan said sarcastically.

Cerrus was still angry about the scene outside with the bouncer and Tali could tell. The man wasn't tough to figure out at times, he sucked at hiding his anger. He downed the brandy quickly and ordered another. Once he got enough alcohol in him he'd forget about it, he could hold his liquor and he was a quiet drunk.

"So, exactly what is the point of this game?" Garrus asked looking over the table as Kaidan now controlled to game.

"Sink your balls before the other team sinks theirs," Ashley summed up quickly and Wrex let out a single throaty laugh.

"Sink balls," he chuckled as Sidda shook her head at her gutter-minded crew. "I'll show you how to sink some balls."

"Classy, Wrex," Sidda chuckled leaning on her cue stick.

Kaidan managed to pull that round out of his hat and Sidda never got another shot; he left her with two of her stripes left on the board. A satisfying victory for him, the next round consisted of teams, Ashley and Sidda versus Kaidan and Tali. Tali picked up the game fairly quick as Kaidan showed her how to shoot.

Cerrus leaned quietly against the pillar that was surrounded by their chairs and tables containing pitchers and bottles of various beverages. Bourbon, scotch, beer, brandy, you name it and it was there. He watched closely as Kaidan stood far too close to Tali and helped her with another shot, the human's hands shadowing hers and Cerrus nearly growled but he remained still with his hackles up and his arms folded across his chest.

Garrus knew what his body language was screaming. He was jealous and protective, typical Turian male behavior. "Easy there, Tyr, I can hear you growling from at the bar," he cautioned offering him another drink. This would make five and Cerrus was all caught up, "it's platonic."

Cerrus' mandibles clicked to the point Garrus could hear that over the loud music in the bar. "Does everyone on the ship know?" he asked his voice low and clearly annoyed as he took the drink from Garrus.

"Probably," he replied noticing the Captain still fixated on Kaidan being far too close to Tali. "You weren't exactly subtle about it."

Another growl but not directed toward the Sentinel, Tali made her shot, got a point and Kaidan had moved away from her; it was platonic, he didn't suspect Kaidan had ulterior motives but Turian nature was had to quell. This growl was one of irritation, both at himself and at Garrus at the moment.

* * *

Sidda and her crew had pretty much taken over a section of the bar, the pool table, two tables, a booth and a dart board. The drinks kept coming and moods lightened, the crew seemed to leave their animosity at the door. Cerrus didn't like the game of pool, he just preferred to watch.

"That's the one." A man said accompanied by two C-Sec officers. Cerrus looked over from his place leaning against the table. It was the bouncer that he'd 'educated' at the door.

"Arrest him," one of the C-Sec officers ordered to the other.

"Stand up, you're under arrest for assault," the other one informed as he approached Cerrus.

"Wait, whoa, hold up," Sidda butted in, "he's assigned to me so no one's arresting him unless I hear a reason why."

"He assaulted an employee," the first officer explained as Cerrus stood up straight eyeing the arresting officer closely. Garrus was now interested as well, being her resident Cop, anything that he could do he would.

Sidda's brow furrowed and she looked from the officer to Garrus and then to Cerrus with her hands out to the side. "Cerrus, what the hell?" she asked as Cerrus didn't resist against the arresting officer.

His hands were roughly pulled behind his back and he sighed. "He had it coming, Commander," Cerrus said with a sigh. "He wouldn't let Tali in and called her a 'suit-rat'."

Sidda raised an eyebrow and looked over to Tali. Given the obvious blooming relationship between them it wasn't much of a stretch to believe Cerrus would kick the crap out of someone who insulted her like that. "Is that what happened, Tali?" she asked.

The Quarian nodded shyly. "Yes."

That was a good enough answer for Sidda and she turned to the officers. "Let him go," she ordered and the lead officer gave her the Turian sneer, like she was some puny little thing that was butting into business that wasn't hers.

"Stay out of this, Human," he ordered.

Sidda took a step toward the Turian one. "My name is Shepard, Officer, and I am invoking Spectre authority, _let him go_," Sidda had the stern tone of the military without going over the top and her look mirrored the same one a Turian would give. They did teach her well.

The Turian Officer didn't budge. "I can't do that. He's not a Spectre and you have no bearing on this."

Sidda didn't back off and Garrus could see into the future for the next minute or so. "You can and you will. Let him go. If I have to say it again things are going to get messy."

Before the Officer would react to that unmistakable threat Garrus stepped in. "He's not worth going head to head with a Spectre, Loren, he was defending another against bigotry."

The Officer flicked his eyes from the little human encroaching on his personal space, to Garrus whom he vaguely knew, to his partner who had Cerrus cuffed. He made a sharp head jerk to his partner which clearly meant as 'uncuff him' because that's what happened next. The Turian stepped toward Cerrus and eyed him. "You step out of line again and-…," he began but Cerrus cut him off.

"Don't threaten me," he said firmly, it wasn't as clear and firm as anyone could sound. It didn't have to be a threat; Cerrus had the look of Special Ops…the cold confidence, the attitude of a stone cold killer. That was what the C-Sec officer saw but didn't run and cower. He held Cerrus' stare and turned away of his own accord taking the other officer with him. Cerrus' eyes fell to the bouncer; the young brat was still sporting the marks of their last engagement. "Run along, Young One," he growled and he did just that.

Sidda downed a shot quickly as those around them scoffed in various ways. "Gotta make a scene where ever you go, huh?" Kaidan commented to Cerrus.

Cerrus looked at Sidda as she growled down the straight Scotch. "Commander-…," he began until she held up her left hand, it still had the glass in it so really all she held up was an index finger.

"We'll talk about it later, Captain," she said quickly not keen on ruining the fun with scolding the Turian who didn't like her. It sounded like fun in her head but that was the Scotch talking, if she laid into him he'd give as good as she gave. It wouldn't be much fun.

"Another round of drinks?" the waitress asked as she came back over to the group. The blonde human woman had already come over about four times with more rounds. She hesitated a little feeling the energy of the group change as the C-Sec officers left.

"Absolutely," Ashley replied enthusiastically.

The waitres's name was Leah and she'd been flirting heavily with Kaidan all night. Kaidan winked to her and flashed a flirty smile. "Another one of the same for me, beautiful," he said and she blushed as Cerrus flopped down next to him purposely trying to break his flirtation with the waitress. Kaidan glowered over at him as he sat far too close to him. "Comfy?"

Cerrus grunted an affirmation. "Yep," he replied and Kaidan scoffed. When the waitress looked at Cerrus he just nodded and Tali shook her head sitting down next to Cerrus.

Leah moved onto the rest. "How about a Fuzzy Navel?" Ashley commented casually to Sidda and Cerrus' eyes narrowed.

"That can't be sanitary," Cerrus commented disgusted.

"It's a drink," Ashley said her tone irritated but not overly hostile.

"Why would you want to drink someone's disgusting navel?" It was a question that more than he pondered, Garrus was probably wondering too but no one but Cerrus said anything.

Kaidan cleared his throat. "Fuzzy Navel is the _name_ of a drink, Tyr, its vodka, peach liquor, and orange juice."

"What about a Sex on the Beach?" Sidda continued and Cerrus' expression didn't change, he went from confused and not knowing what they were talking about to borderline appalled by human names for the strangest things.

Kaidan headed him off before he asked. "Also a drink…little more complicated, way too fruity for me."

"Why can't you people keep the names simple?" he asked and Garrus seconded that. The officer had spent more time around humans than Cerrus had and even he hadn't figured them out.

The girls ignored him and continued on. "Jello shots?" Ashley mentioned and Sidda's stomach did hula hoop at the mere mention.

"I haven't been to do Jello Shots since the academy," Sidda replied shaking her head.

* * *

The next round of drinks came; it was the dangerous part of the evening when people started mixing the bases. Sidda started with just her straight Scotch but had now added Vodka to the mix, a poor choice for the next morning. Sidda was still able to walk straight though, or at least, no one had told her that she was weaving or swaying and it seemed that everyone was understanding everyone well enough so maybe the slurred speech wasn't too bad yet either. She's always found the idea of a dart board in a bar as largely misguided. The darts here didn't have steel points but the Pubs she'd visited on Earth did, she'd always questioned the wisdom in giving intoxicated people a tiny spear to throw at a wall.

"It's called Darts," Sidda said and the two Turian's looked at each other and then back to Sidda and Kaidan.

"What?" Garrus asked.

"It's a game, think of it as a test of marksmanship," she explained in the simplest way possible.

Garrus took the single dart she presented to him. Turians were surprisingly dexterous even with the vicious claws they had. "Marksmanship with this?" he questioned, Cerrus hadn't said anything but he was paying attention even through his best efforts to get drunk.

Garrus wasn't convinced of her explanation and she shrugged. "Okay, fine, think of it as hand eye coordination. You throw this at that, if you get really good you can put the dart wherever you need it." She said demonstrating it by throwing on that hit the board firmly in a 15 then handed him one of the darts. "Try it. Try to hit the center."

Garrus took the dart and tossed it as close to the same form she had. It hit dead center in the bullseye and Sidda's brow furrowed. "Beginners luck…try again." Garrus took the last dart and repeated it putting the next dart right next to the one already in the bull. Her expression changed to irritation and she eyed him trying to ignore his obvious smirk. "You suck," she hissed also ignoring the deep chuckle coming from him.

Cerrus' expression changed to his typical 'I don't understand human slang' expression and he glanced at Kaidan who shook his head taking a drink of his beer. "Don't ask, Tyr, I'm not explaining that one."

The game was simple; Sidda and Kaidan called it Cricket. The object explained was simple: hit the specified numbers three times and close them out. Usually played by individuals there was an effort made to help the Turians so they made it a team game.

"Kaidan, hell no, you can't have both snipers." Sidda argued as Garrus looked over his shoulder at Cerrus getting another drink from the table. "I'll take mine and you take yours," she added and grabbed Garrus' hand pulling her toward him and clinging to him like a giddy school girl clutching her crush. Garrus played along and slung an arm over her.

"Looks like you've been claimed, Vakarian," Cerrus said finishing his drink quickly. He remained close to Tali, the protective mate in him. After the encounter with the Turian bouncer he dared anyone to touch her or say anything about her. That bouncer got off easy; he would have killed him had Tali not been there. It dredged up memories that he'd rather keep locked away; Anara was a Cabal and had seen her fair share of discrimination. He remembered one vividly; one of the few times he and Anara were on Palaven together, at morning mess he watched two enlisted men kick her chair from under her, he heard Anara squawk in pain and everything had gone red after that. He put both of them in the med bay and the squawk he heard from his mate was one of them stepping on her left hand hard enough to break it. He spent 10 days in the brig for that.

"Apparently so," Garrus said and looked down at the little human under his right arm as Cerrus shook his head sharply trying to shake the memory he'd preferred hidden.

"And so have you, Sweetie, get over here," Kaidan teased with a chuckle making the rest of them laugh. Cerrus was jerked over to Kaidan but knew he was merely joking.

"Get off me," he said and pushed Kaidan's hand off him.

The Turians picked up darts quickly, as expected and soon there was a guys against girls game going on. Wrex preferred not to play and Liara didn't seem to be handling all the alcohol that well so she was nursing a drink and enjoying the company. It was Kaidan, Garrus, and Cerrus verses Sidda, Ashley, and Tali in the most frustrating game of 501 that anyone had ever seen or heard about. Largely impaired by the drinks, the boys needed to double out a 10 that not a one of them could hit and the girls had the same issue but with 40. Tali ended up winning it for the girls after nailing the double 20. In all it was a great bonding experience, no one was fighting, insulting, or sneering that wasn't related to game banter.

* * *

Sidda's head throbbed from the right temple to the left and back again. When she opened her eyes she found herself on the couch with her feet across Kaidan's lap. She vaguely remembered sitting down on the couch the night before and it took her a moment to remember where she was, Garrus' apartment on the Citadel. Around her were various other members of her crew on various pieces of Garrus' furniture. She managed to get up and walked, more like staggered, toward the kitchen area.

Garrus was leaning on the counter with the singular look of worry on his face. She passed it off; the hangover was trumping everything else. Her vision swayed a little but the cold comfort benefit of being a biotic meant that hangover usually didn't last that long. The amp had its benefits outside of harnessing Dark Energy.

"Good morning," she managed out, her throat dry and scratchy. A wave of dizziness hit her and braced on the counter a moment.

"Shepard," he greeted but something in his tone told her that something was wrong. It was possible he had aspirin but she doubted it so she turned around slowly and threw the nearest item at her Medic to wake him up.

"Even hungover I can hear something's wrong," she commented turning back toward him as the shoe she threw succeeded in not only rousing Kaidan but Cerrus and Tali as well.

"I need your help," he replied simply.

That tone wasn't good, it was simple but it carried weight with it, something was wrong. "Coffee," she said simply and Garrus shook his head.

"I don't have coffee, Commander," he replied and Sidda whimpered, she needed coffee, something to help shake the hangover. Garrus was impatient, however, and continued on. "A few months ago a friend of mine was beaten and raped by Fist's men. Her name's Leena, she was my partner for a few years." His words drew the attention of Kaidan mostly and Cerrus half listened as the voice drew him from the living room. His head was throbbing also but he wasn't as bad off as Sidda was apparently. "She's been at the Zakera Ward Hospital recovering. I know Fist ordered it, I know it was his men…I need your help to prove it."

She felt her stomach do flip flops and she closed her eyes tight waiting for the nausea to pass. "All the technology in the galaxy and we haven't found a cure for the fuckin hangover," she said and felt a burp escape. It tasted bad but she was determined to keep stomach contents in her stomach.

"And the common cold," Kaidan added and she groaned.

"Oh, Alenko, shut up," she mumbled and groaned feeling her stomach rumble some more.

Garrus blinked more annoyed than ever, the fact that Sidda was so hungover that he didn't even think she heard him irritated him. "Commander," he prodded in a louder tone.

Sidda raised her left hand up to tell him to wait. "I heard you, Garrus…just give me a minute…," she said took a deep breath as Kaidan tossed her a bottle of pills. Something for her head. "So, what do you want me to do? You can't get to Fist…he's singing like a canary to your Organized Crime Division."

Cerrus' eyes narrowed questioningly. "A Canary's a bird." Kaidan provided and earned semi appreciative nod from the Turian.

"Leena never said Fist was there, they were his pack of goons."

"You said she served a Warrant to him?" Sidda clarified downing as many of the pills as was safe with a glass of water. "I take it you guys found nothing?"

"Not enough to arrest First but enough to shut down whatever was going through that depot for a few days," Garrus explained frustrated by Sidda making him retell this again, he could see she was warring with a massive hangover and ordinarily he would wait for her to be a little more clear headed but he didn't have the time now. "Leena said that a few of his men, a human and a Krogan, threatened her while she was searching them. Said they'd…do things to her if they saw her again."

Sidda's head cocked to the left. "Did she report that?"

Garrus gave her a confused expression, not seeing the relevance, but answered it anyway. "No."

"That wasn't very smart," Sidda replied bluntly and felt the eyes of Kaidan and Cerrus on her immediately.

Garrus didn't see that as a necessary comment toward someone he cared about. "Commander!" he barked and Sidda focused on him, headache and hangover or not.

"Vakarian, you raise your voice like that again I'll kick your ass from one side of the Citadel to the other." She warned and Garrus found it difficult to keep his obvious retort silent. "You haven't answered my question: what do you want me to do about it?"

"Help me find these bastards…I think I know who they are but I don't have any evidence aside from Leena had told me."

Sidda got a sense of Garrus' mood, was he asking her to be judge, jury, and executioner? "And do what when we find them?" she asked and Garrus stood up straight. Cerrus' eyes flipped between the two of them curious about the answer.

"I'll tell you when we find them," he answered his tone quiet. Cerrus quietly cocked his head as he observed Sidda's reaction. He judged Garrus had the potential to bring vigilante justice if he felt the cause was worth it, he was hot headed and potentially dangerous. Sidda on the other hand would kill if needed to defend, to protect, under orders, if the occasion didn't skew her morals she'd do her duty. That was something about her that he found he could respect, in that regard, she was like a Turian.

Sidda wasn't sure how she felt about that answer but at least it was honest. "Alright, we'll help, Garrus," she nodded giving him a sense of solidarity with her. She owed him, big time; this was a small step toward repaying that.

Cerrus cleared his throat. "Commander, we have a traitor to catch," he reminded simply and earned the ire of everyone in the room, most notably Garrus.

"Are you kidding me?" Garrus snarled.

Cerrus shrugged like the one voice of reason, the one to make sure the course stayed true. "Renegade Spectre. Geth invasion," he reminded in as snarky a tone as he could come up with. It came across as harshly sarcastic.

"You really are an asshole, Cerrus." Garrus snapped in return and his fellow Turian merely shrugged that off, he'd been called worse.

Sidda raised her hands to stem the argument. "Alright, enough; Cerrus is right. Kaidan, what time is the _Normandy_ scheduled to depart?"

"1600."

Sidda nodded tiredly. "Good, that gives us 8 hours," she sighed pushing the throb in her head to the back of the line. "Kaidan, get everyone awake and back to the _Normandy_, have the Chief and Tali make sure all the requisitions got where they needed to be. Garrus and Liara are with me…I want to talk to Leena. We'll meet up at C-Sec; figure out where we go from there."

* * *

Sidda still felt nauseous but the amp had done what is usually did, quelled the headache, the only time it didn't work well was when it fought the losing battle against dextro alcohol, she's developed a tolerance to the brandy but that was about it. It tasted like honey but it whooped her ass. Liara had consumed the least amount of drinks the night before, though she seemed like she had fun she really wasn't in the mood and Sidda felt for her, the whole crew did. Now she, along with Garrus, were going to go talk to a rape victim…not the best task anyone of them had ever undertaken.

Leena Vol was 160 years old and had been in the Asari military before joining C-Sec, it was a common story for an Asari. She was Liara's height, with silvery eyes, striking cobalt skin tone with a fuscha stripe down her lower lip and dotting accents under the eyes from her tear ducts to where an eyebrow would end on a human. She had a kind face and a nice smile that seemed to brighten when she saw Garrus.

"Leena," he greeted gently, his body language changed and Sidda guessed that Leena may have been something more than just a partner, "this is Shepard…she's a Spectre who's willing to help."

Leena's brow furrowed as she looked from Garrus to Sidda and then back to Garrus. "Help with what?" The question seemed to throw Garrus off and Sidda knitted her brow. "Garrus, Pallin wants proof, I don't have it," she sounded frustrated.

"I might be able to work around that," Sidda offered quietly.

Leena saw right through Garrus. "Vigilante justice? Garrus, don't…Pallin will kick you off the force."

Garrus growled, loudly. "I don't care about that," he snarled. "Fist is in custody, he's not going to tell us anything while he can bargain with everything else." Sidda's eye flicked between them. Garrus was frustrated, angry but Leena was calm…strangely calm. She didn't expect an Asari to be in pieces over this especially one that was a military veteran and a trained C-Sec officer but she did expect her to want to bring those who hurt her to justice. It dawned on Sidda a moment later. They knew who did it but couldn't prove it and Garrus was about to do something rash. That's why Leena was so calm; she was trying to keep Garrus from flying off the handle. They continued to argue as she silently made her assessment sparing a few looks to Liara; the scientist had a perpetual concerned look on her face, kind and sympathetic.

"Shepard is a Spectre and a good person, if she can help; I know she will find justice for you," Liara said calmly and her voice seemed to cool the snarling tempers between Leena and Garrus.

"If Fist knows anything about what happened rest assured I'll make him talk, but I want to know what happened," Sidda said and Leena gave her an expression that was a mix of several emotions. "You don't have to go into detail just tell me what happened and tell me what you remember."

"Fist wasn't there," Leena replied, her tone stern.

Sidda sighed; she was as stubborn as Garrus, what a partnership that must have been. "But if he ordered it I'll make sure he goes down for it. Please, just…tell me what you know."

Leena folded her arms across her chest and gave Garrus a semi hostile glare, he was only trying to help and she knew that. Liara sat with her as Leena went into as much as she could remember; it was an awful tale even without the detail. She'd been on her way home when she was cornered by two Batarians and attacked. Leena cursed herself for being caught off guard and Sidda noticed Garrus standing like a coiled spring, she wondered what their relationship really was. Leena went on to explain that she remembered a human and a Krogan in addition to the two Batarians and that after a while she was beaten so badly that she didn't remember anything after the first two. Sidda was happy that she brought the young scientist along as the sympathetic ear, she herself wasn't good at that; she couldn't sit there and pretend to empathize. Part of her did, that wasn't the issue but she couldn't help but look at it as _what could you have done different_ or_ how did you let yourself get into that situation. _

In addition to her own clenched jaw about the story she could hear Garrus mandibles clicking. One very angry Turian, she'd been told that he was a hot head but so far he hadn't displayed much more than anyone else had on this mission so far. She snorted to herself. _Guess he just needed the right button._

By the time they were finished listening to Leena regale them with her horrible story Sidda couldn't speak for Liara but she was ready to kill any man in sight, Garrus' company excluded of course. On the way out she felt like she needed a shower, not from talking to Leena but from thinking about what happened. She'd left out just enough detail to let the imagination run wild, Sidda didn't know what was worse; knowing the whole story or vague details.

"Commander," Liara began, "please don't make me sit through another story like that."

Sidda scoffed as she whole heartedly agreed. "Yes, please," she replied with a heavy sigh. "Garrus, do you know who she's talking about?"

Garrus gave her a tentative nod. "The Krogan and the Human, maybe…the two Batarians, however…Fist has a lot of them in his employ," he answered and she huffed.

"C-Sec know where they are?" she asked and Garrus gave her an indiscernible shrug. "I know some people I can ask for an update…Fist's men are hard to find."

* * *

C-Sec was like any other police precinct Sidda had been in, not to say she'd been in a lot of them but she had seen her fair share on Earth. Bustling with people, cops, suspects, victims and Garrus strutted in like he was still assigned there. Garrus had worked in C-Sec for years so everyone he passed knew him. He was still a cop but temporarily assigned to a Spectre. Sidda got a few looks as Garrus shook a few hands in passing on his way to find who he was looking for.

They passed interview rooms, squad rooms, and everything else you'd see in a precinct only on a larger scale. Garrus led them into an office with a single Turian typing away at the computer. He looked up and almost did a double take when he saw the big Palaven native walking toward him with a human and an Asari.

He blinked and stood to greet them. "Vakarian, what are you doing here? I thought you were TAD?" he asked and clasped his arm in friendship.

"Just working on something," he replied. "I need your help with something, Chellick."

Chellick gave him a dubious expression. "Word is you're assigned to a Spectre," Chellick said sounding suspicious about what he wanted; Garrus had something of a reputation around C-Sec so when he was being vague it was usually because he was irritated with C-Sec red tape. Chellick's eyes flicked to the Asari, she was pretty, and then to the human. The human he recognized, the short brunette who's Spectre induction had been aired about a thousand times on the news.

"Sidda Shepard," she introduced and extended her hand to him which he shook firmly with a nod.

"The first human Spectre…a pleasure, Commander," he nodded and then Liara followed suit introducing herself to him as Sidda studied him. His markings were the same as Desala's. He was from, or his family, was from Oma Kerr. "What can I do to help, Garrus?"

"It's about Leena's case," Garrus said bluntly and Chellick groaned.

"Does Leena have something new?" he asked and Garrus huffed, this was apparently the tough part. She couldn't identify them, therefore they had nothing. Garrus' expression was enough to answer his question. "I have talked to Leena too…she can't identify them and DNA didn't come back with a hit."

"She heard a human _and_ a Krogan and she saw the two Batarians that jumped her," Garrus fought back and Chellick shook his head.

"Who she doesn't know, she probably could ID them if she saw them again but there a couple thousand Batarians in this ward arm alone," Chellick explained his tone raising slightly to drive his point home to the stubborn Turian who was focused on the task.

Garrus grumbled, annoyed with this. "They work for Fist, which narrows field."

Chellick sighed at the circular argument that they'd had since this whole thing began. Garrus didn't have proof and that pissed him off. "Prove it. Prove they work for him. Prove that he ordered it. Or prove that they acted alone. I'd love to nail these bastards to the wall the same as you but without proof they'll be out in a day and who do you think is going to suffer the retaliation."

"We've leaned on all his people already," Garrus growled sounding frustrated and borderline angry.

"How about we go straight to the source," Sidda suggested and Garrus' head cocked to the left. "If Fist knows where his boys are, let's ask him."

"Commander, Fist will never tell us where they are and Organized Crime would never let us get anywhere near him," Garrus said and Sidda shrugged, she had the trump card and knew it. The last time she dealt with Fist she was just an Alliance Officer on a mission and she did some real damage, now she was a Spectre and the possibilities were endless with a bastard like him.

"Spectre remember," She reminded. "Take me to Fist."

Chellick's expression was priceless. "Wait, wait a minute, wait a minute, Commander, what are you going to do?" he asked sounding about as nervous and worried as Garrus felt.

"I'm going to get him to tell me everything we want to know," she replied and the Turians looked at each other. Garrus was sure that he didn't like the sound of that, Sidda was probably about to piss off all of C-Sec in one fell swoop. Should be fun to watch but he was terrified at the same time. Chellick understood the Spectre authority and wanted to catch the men who assaulted Leena as much as Garrus did so he nodded tentatively.

"Garrus, you find the people who did this and I'll be there to back you up," the other Turian assured and Garrus nodded at him appreciatively.

* * *

Getting Fist into a room so Sidda could talk was a covert affair, Chellick helped and steamrolled the watch commander without letting Fist's representative or lead detective get wind.

Sidda still didn't like Fist; just the way he looked irked her. At the moment it was worse, he was sitting too comfortably for her taste. His hand had healed up some but she could still see the remains of the gunshot she'd inflicted.

"What the fuck do you want?" he hissed loudly and she scoffed as she sat down letting Garrus stand menacingly in the corner with strict orders to keep his trap shut unless something got out of hand. To keep Chellick out of too much trouble he stayed outside so it was just Sidda and Garrus.

"And a hello to you too, Fist," she replied with a smirk. "How's the hand?"

"Blow me, Bitch," he hissed back as she snorted softly. Garrus had heard that enough times from the humans he'd interrogated to know what that meant.

"Pass," she rebutted with a fake smile. "We need to talk," she said and folded her hands together on the table.

"Oh yeah, what about?"

"Officer Leena Vol…a C-Sec officer that was assaulted by some of your…associates," she informed and Fist scoffed. "I want to know who they are and where I can find them."

"Why the fuck would I tell you?"

"Word is that Organized Crime is going to throw the book at you…you're looking at a lot of jail time even with what you have given to them," she continued, "you tell me what I want to know and maybe I can do something about that."

Fist's brow furrowed, Sidda could feel Garrus looking at her curiously but she never looked away from Fist. "What the hell could you do?"

"How about I start with what could happen if you _don't_ tell me what I want to know," she went on and Garrus observed her, she was so calm and cold, a marked change from the last time she 'talked' to Fist. "I have a mind blowing amount of shady friends now, bounty hunters, mercs, Turians…you name it I can call it up. If you don't tell me who attacked Officer Vol it's a dealers choice as to how long you're going to last in holding and how you're gonna die."

Fist's expression didn't change but Garrus could tell he was thinking or at least taking her words to heart. "What are you offering?"

Sidda turned the pad around to him and slid it forward. "This is your 'get out of jail free card'. I exercise my Spectre authority to grant your immediate release. If you tell me what I want to know."

Spectre authority superseded most everything else in Council space and Fist knew that. "How do I know that's legit?"

"Signature and fingerprints are all over it," she assured with a shrug. "You tell me what I want to know and it's all yours."

"And C-Sec will honor it?" he clarified, Fist wasn't stupid, he'd seen all the tricks that C-Sec could come up with.

"They don't have a choice," Garrus piped up, his tone a low growl. "Quit jerking us around and tell us what you know or this deal walks out that door." Garrus was expecting to get barked at or scolded but Sidda said nothing.

"Graal and Serok are the Batarians, the Krogan is Weyrloc Rohr and the human…they call him Crowe." Fist told them quietly and Sidda looked over to Garrus silently asking if he knew who they were.

"_The_ Crowe?" Garrus asked and Fist nodded.

"They usually hang out in the Blackhouse district," he went on and Sidda looked over to Garrus who again nodded to her. It was very good to have a veteran cop on the team.

"If this doesn't pan out…I'm gonna lock you in a room with Garrus and Wrex and take bets on which one of them kills you first," she threatened, her tone sounded more like a promise.

Fist's eyes flicked from her to the pissed off Turian and then back to Sidda as she headed out of the room. Chellick had been watching and was in the appropriate tizzy as she had expected.

"Commander, are you out of your mind? You're gonna let him go?" Chellick babbled and Sidda shushed him.

"Keep your voice down, Detective," she scolded and looked over to Garrus. "Blackhouse District…good, bad, ugly?"

"Known criminal hangouts, low income, C-Sec loves it," he replied and she snorted at the obvious sarcasm. "And he mentioned Crowe, I had a feeling that merc bastard was a part of this."

"Care to share, Gentleman," Sidda commented, Chellick spoke first.

"Human merc goes by Crowe; they're all enforcers for Fist," Chellick said quickly.

"Sid, if Crowe is in there we're gonna need some more firepower," Garrus added and she nodded in agreement.

"Get Cerrus and Kaidan down here," she nodded and turned to Chellick. "wanna go have some fun, Detective?"

Chellick snorted sounding almost amused. "Only someone who's not a cop would call going into Blackhouse after Crowe fun."

Sidda chuckled. "After what I've encountered lately…this'll be a walk in the park."

* * *

The Blackhouse district was as advertised, a criminal funhouse. The good part about Fist being firmly on C-Sec's shit list was that they knew where his little hideouts were. Crowe especially, the Merc had been flagged by C-Sec the second he stepped on the station a year ago, hired by Fist and a thorn in law enforcements side. C-Sec suspected him of a lot of bad deeds but nothing ever stuck, he was good with tech and covered his tracks.

With Sidda was Garrus, Cerrus, and Kaidan but they also had Chellick with them so the Executor didn't hit the ceiling when this all got back to them. Sidda had the authority to do what she wanted but Pallin notoriously didn't like Spectres. So there was probably a one sided shouting match from Pallin at the end of this little rainbow. Garrus and Chellick represented the law enforcement so no one could say what they were doing was illegal.

"Garrus, get the door," Sidda ordered conversationally as they descended on the warehouse that was a pit for Fist and his goons. According to Chellick, however, this was more than likely Crowe's nest; he was frequently sighted in the area and had been hauled off by C-Sec a dozen times from this location.

Chellick went first after Garrus defeated the lock and Sidda praised the detective's initiative, he seemed like a good man and a good cop. Garrus hadn't scoffed or sneered about him coming along so she figured that he was at least respectable. Garrus was next followed by Sidda. Kaidan and Cerrus were assigned to the back entrance with the other group of officers to make sure the exits were covered. It was shockingly easy to get in and find their targets, as Fist said four people that fit the descriptions were there plus more. Most of them were seat around a round table playing cards and were none the wiser about what was about to happen.

On the ride over Chellick already volunteered to treat this like a raid and brought a few extra officers to handle the back as they went in the front. "Good afternoon, Gentleman," Chellick began in a raised tone as he startled the half dozen men in the room, "this is a raid so don't do anything stupid. Stay where you are and put your hands in the air."

His words apparently fell on deaf ears for some as a young human male bolted toward the back. All Sidda heard was a hearty _thwack_ and he sprawled back into view, face bloody with Cerrus turning his rifle back around. The other human in the area reached for the pistol on his hip and Sidda flared her biotcs.

"Don't!" she barked aiming her pistol at him but showing him that she was fully prepared to rearrange his molecules. He didn't listen and drew quickly, omni-tool activating and setting off an explosive. The blast was small but it made Chellick's team shield their faces as the human ran.

"That's Crowe!" Garrus yelled and took off after him.

"Garrus, wait!" Sidda yelled but he was already chasing him further into the warehouse. "Cerrus, with me!" she ordered as she took off after Garrus.

Crowe sprinted at top speed through the warehouse but humans were far outclassed by Turians when it came to running. A human sprint was barely a jog for a Turian and Garrus caught him quickly as Crowe sent an incinerate toward him. Garrus rolled under it and reached out with his right hand catching Crowe's right foot tripping him up. The Merc fell flat on his face bloodying his mouth and undoubtedly breaking his nose in the process. They both scrambled to their feet quickly and glared at each other. Garrus with intense focus and Crowe with the look of someone who knew what he was doing.

"Vakarian," he growled, he'd lost his pistol when he performed a face plant but activated his omni-blade. "How's your partner?"

Garrus saw red and cast his pistol to the side preferring hand to hand. The fight was on after that. Garrus blocked every hit with precision accuracy and made sure to stay out of the way of the blade. It was over in under a minute, Garrus trapped Crowe's left arm under his arm and drove a hit up under his extended arm, he heard the humerus snap and Crowe's howl of pain was music to his ears, from there Garrus drove his right knee into his spine forcing Crowe to his knees. The Merc screamed in pain as he tried to catch himself with his broken arm. Garrus grabbed a handful of Crowe's hair and pulled him up to his knees. Vengeance was his, this son of a bitch hurt Leena, violated her. He could smell the fear and poised to snap his neck.

"Garrus!" he heard Sidda yell in her commanding officer tone, the one she used to rein people in, a tone that was normally reserved for Cerrus. He didn't see Cerrus tackle him but he felt it when he was rammed into the nearest object. He felt like he was hit by a Skycar.

"Get off me!" Garrus fought back struggling in Cerrus' grip. Cerrus saw the rage he was in and knew that Garrus had one thing on his mind, killing Crowe. It was a Turian rage, Turian's lost their tempers like everyone else did but this was different. This was a rage.

He almost slipped from Cerrus' grip but he was grabbed again and slammed hard into the wall that Cerrus has rammed him into. "Knock it off!" Cerrus roared getting into his face, he was still the dominate Turian and was treating Garrus as he would any other subordinate. Garrus blinked coming out of his rage and realized who was in front of him. He patted Cerrus' arm indicating that he was back in his right mind and Cerrus let him go but only took a half step back remaining on his guard.

Sidda had seen the struggle between the Turians but was focused on Crowe. His face was bloody, he cradled his arm like it was broken, but he still didn't look beaten. "Name," she ordered and he panted as he spit a glob of blood onto the floor.

"Fuck you," he answered.

Sidda thought about punching him but decided against it. "Tell me, or I'll turn him loose on you," she hissed and gestured to Garrus still seething rage. Crowe was in his 30s, black hair, brown eyes, and probably good to look at before he busted his face up.

"Crowe," he answered quietly and spat out more blood looking the brunette biotic up and down, she didn't look like a cop. "You're not a cop, who are you?"

"Spectre Shepard," she replied and she saw Crowe's demeanor deflate.

"A Spectre. Fuck," he cursed and she snorted.

"Yeah," she nodded satisfied with the fear that struck into people, "you're fucked. Cerrus, get him up." She ordered and keyed the radio turning back to the way they had come. "Chellick, we got him."

* * *

Parading their suspects into the C-Sec was a good feeling for Garrus and Chellick, they didn't often pair together but when they did they worked well together. They marched their catch past most of the squad room and straight into holding. Pallin had his shouting match with his two officers, mainly Chellick since Garrus was assigned to a Spectre, for not following protocol and bending the rules by letting Sidda talk to Fist. That led to him barking about Spectre's overstepping bounds. While he was grateful for solving Leena's assault case he sorely disagreed with their methods.

All complaining aside having Crowe in custody was a shot in the arm, nothing they ever had on him stuck, he was good at covering his tracks but he slipped up this time. Now the work began to link it all together, match the DNA to what was taken from Leena and to get her to identify the two Batarians.

To say C-Sec was pissed off at her was an understatement; she let a potential wealth of information for organized crime walk out the front door with a free pass. The irritation that came next left Sidda, Garrus, Cerrus, and Kaidan standing off near the lift watching Fist walk out with the most irritatingly smug look on his face. Even though she did it, she didn't like it, she thought about going back on it but she made him a deal and she got what she wanted, Garrus got what he wanted, Leena got the justice she deserved.

"You know that he ordered it, right?" Cerrus commented quietly, he had been listening to everything that was going on. He didn't really want to be doing this right now but given the situation he took it even though he thought they needed to be out finding Saren before he blew up the galaxy…or worse.

Sidda grunted her response in a long uhhh-huhh. "He'll piss someone off and they'll net him," she commented. "Or Wrex will find him and fulfill his contract."

Kaidan snorted thinking of how thrilled the Krogan would be to hear that Fist was out of C-Sec's clutches. "Oh, I can't wait to see the look on his face when you tell him."

"Chellick said he'd watch him and Organized Crime is gonna crawl up his ass as often as possible," Garrus added quietly and looked down at Sidda standing between him and Kaidan. "Commander, I would avoid C-Sec for a while…they're all talking about lynching you."

Sidda sighed heavily, really the last thing she wanted to do was make an enemy of C-Sec, she already knew Pallin didn't like her much and she couldn't wait to hear Anderson and Udina come unglued over this, but to get what she wanted she had to crash through C-Sec like a bull in a china shop. At least she had Garrus…and now apparently Chellick. She dropped her head and scratched her left temple. "Alright, I've seen enough…let's get the hell out of here."

"Hey, Commander," a flanged voice called and she paused walking looking to see who it was. It was Chellick.

"Chellick, hopefully you didn't get busted too much for helping us out," she said and Chellick would be lying if he said he wasn't in trouble.

"It'll pass…I've had worse…I was partnered with him for a little while after all," he said and gestured toward Garrus. "I just wanted to say that…this job is difficult and it's usually unpleasant but if you ever need backup for anything, call…I'll be there," he nodded politely and extended his hand to her and was surprised when she clasped his arm in friendship. It was a more Turian type of handshake and he nodded at her.

"Been a pleasure, Detective," she said with a smile. "Stay out of trouble."

Chellick scoffed sounding like Nov as he did. "Well, with you not here I stand a better chance of that." She laughed and slapped his left arm before heading to the elevator that would take her and her team to the _Normandy._

Cerrus and Kaidan leaned against the back waiting patiently and Sidda noticed that Kaidan had begun to mirror Cerrus' body language as they were both standing the same way with the same expression. It couldn't hurt Kaidan to pick up the cold attitude of Cerrus so long as he didn't become him. The galaxy only needed on jackass like him. Garrus was quiet and she looked over at him as he tapped the button.

"So…what _is_ Leena to you?" she asked and Garrus looked down at her sharply, he wasn't going to answer that.

"She was my partner," he replied and she shook her head with a sarcastic snort.

"You know for a cop you really do suck at lying," she said as the door closed and the lift took them up to the docks. Garrus didn't reply to that, if she wanted to know more she was going to have to get him beyond drunk or beat it out of him.


	12. Chapter 12: The Reason

**_Note: Okay, this one is a shorty...I just couldn't make this content work with how I'm doing the next chapter so...viola! I made it a chapter all it's own. The title of this one is from the song I have chosen for Cerrus with Tali, The Reason by Hoobastank. I hope ya'll enjoy this, I'm chipping away at the next one so it should be up shortly. _**

**_As always feedback is very much welcome and thank you to the reviews, favorites, and follows. Happy Reading!_**

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Twelve: The Reason**

Garrus was seated on the couch in Sidda's quarters as they laughed about the mission they'd just completed. The team had consisted of Garrus, Kaidan, and Wrex and when Sidda had sent them down to the steamy hot planet she hadn't expected a comm call only 30 minutes later. Apparently it was also the last time Garrus would ever let Kaidan drive the Mako, the Lieutenant got the tank so stuck in a crevasse that it took the _Normandy_ and the combine ingenuity of Cerrus, Tali, Adams, and Joker to get it unstuck and back onboard. It was a story that begged to be told.

"That is the last time I ever let him drive that thing." He chuckled as she chuckled as well.

"How in the hell did he miss a 300 foot drop?" she asked through her chuckling.

Garrus shook his head. "I don't know but when we found it I think even Wrex screamed."

Sidda couldn't stop the laughing; just the mental image of the three of them carelessly careening off a cliff into a steep crevasse was enough to make her start laughing again. "Oh my God, he will never live that down."

"Not if I can help it." He chuckled.

Sidda judged his personality of late; it had been about three days since the police raid they'd worked on. Three days since Garrus nearly killed the merc named Crowe. She still didn't know what his relationship with Leena was but it was enough to make him want to commit murder. Sidda rummaged around her quarters and came back with a familiar type of bottle and two glasses.

"Turian Brandy?" Garrus asked recognizing the smell as she poured a stingy amount in each glass, not enough to get drunk but enough to make this a little more laid back, trying to get Garrus to open up was proving to be difficult."

She smiled as she handed him a glass. "I acquired a taste for it." Garrus took it and nodded at her respectfully. "So…have you heard from Leena?" she asked and he groaned in mid sip.

"Sidda, will you let it go?" he groaned. "Why are you still on this?"

"Because you're a god awful fucking liar and I know there's something going on," she explained and he shook his head.

"Let it go, Commander," he said firmly but he wasn't being aggressive yet.

"Bullshit, Garrus," she replied her tone mirroring his, "you were gonna kill Crowe if Cerrus and I hadn't gotten there."

He said nothing for a moment because she was completely right, he would have kill him, he still wanted to and to be honest, he would if no one stopped him. The other three as well. "Commander," he replied after a few moments. "Leena was my partner, nothing more, nothing less." His response was a little more difficult to read but she knew he was lying, there had to be something there. It was the way _they_, not just he, acted in each other's presence.

"You know one of these days you'll trust me enough to tell me," she commented and took a sip of the brandy.

"I do trust you," he replied and downed the rest of the contents quickly before standing. "Good night, Shepard."

Sidda watched him leave and found herself missing Victus even more; they'd spent far too much time apart. She missed being on the _Lante_ and being able to see him every day. She didn't miss the daily ass kickings courtesy of Cerrus but she missed Victus the most, and Maridus and Nov as well. When this was over she planned on taking a long leave with her favorite Turian.

* * *

Tali hummed to herself as she concentrated on repairing the Mako after Kaidan's spectacular accident. She and Garrus had been working on it all day and she had effectively lost track of time.

"Hey." A flanged voice greeted and she smiled under the mask; that was Cerrus. She glanced from the repair console to look at him then back to what she was doing. "What are you still doing up?" he asked pulling himself in and sat down in the gunners seat.

"Oh, still repairing the damaged systems that blew," she replied sounding tired.

Cerrus casually examined the interior. "Thought Garrus was helping."

"He was. I think he went to bed hours ago," she replied and spared another glance over to him. "Why are you up?"

Cerrus shrugged his usual answer. "Couldn't sleep."

"I know the feeling," she smiled; she still couldn't get a full night's sleep on this ship. Cerrus simply looked her up and down as she worked. Tali didn't mind the company especially if it was him. They both liked each other and flirted heavily. Cerrus had never been with or even attracted to another species. Tali was different, she made him laugh and feel comfortable, he had never worked so hard at flirting with a woman since Anara and that said a lot. It was a strange feeling for him since it had been so damn long since he felt this way about anyone.

She stood and leaned over to the driver's seat flipping a few switches bringing the self-repair system back online letting Cerrus take in her slender, curvy body. He never realized what Nov found so attractive about Asari until now. Tali brought out his hidden playful side, the side he had before he lost Anara, and snatched up the tiny Quarian pulling her onto his lap. She heard him purr and giggled as she settled on his lap.

They had danced around a more physical relationship since his sniper rifle training. He still wanted to see her face but he refused to place her life in danger so he didn't press. Tali didn't mind him touching her and swiveled her hips so she was now straddling his lap and Cerrus approved placing his hands on the top of her thighs.

"I think you need to take a break," Cerrus stated and she felt him run his hands up her side then back down her thighs careful to not over step any bounds.

"What do you propose I do on this 'break', Captain?" she teased and Cerrus chuckled.

"Well, what do you want to do?" he played and she leaned to the left hitting the button on the main console to close the hatch. With the hatch to the Mako closed Cerrus allowed another chuckle, it was obvious they needed some privacy. Tali reached for her mask and Cerrus understood what she was doing. He grabbed her lands lightly and shook his head. "No," he said, "you don't have to do that for me."

Tali smiled under the mask at how much he did care for her. He never asked her to show her face to him and that was usually the first thing people asked her. Cerrus was different, he truly cared for her. She didn't stop the movement and continued to remove it.

Cerrus wasn't sure what he'd see, he'd never seen an unmasked Quarian. She removed her mask and helmet and Cerrus got a look at a woman that looked similar to a human female. Tali's skin was pale with a slight purple tinge to it, her eyes were an iridescent slivery white, and she had long black hair with dark blue streaks pulled back into a tight braid. She was beautiful, with markings on her forehead that formed a disjointed V over each eyebrow. Her eyes were his favorite; he'd never seen eyes that almost literally glowed.

"You're beautiful," he said quietly nearly mesmerized by her and wanted to put his hand on her cheek but hesitated not wanting to make her sick.

She could say that she'd dreamed of a man like Cerrus since the first time she saw Fleet and Flotilla. Tali leaned forward and kissed him, the first time he'd been kissed was by Sidda, it was an odd experience then and it was still odd now. Cerrus moved his hands to her back and traced them down lightly before she rocked back from him.

"Have you ever been kissed before?" she asked knowing that it wasn't normal for Turians to kiss it just wasn't something they did.

Cerrus stifled the grumble. "Yes, but let's not bring that up," he hedged and Tali narrowed her eyes.

"Hmmm..." Tali replied and Cerrus looked down at her hand fiddling with the fasteners on his tunic.

Cerrus wasn't sure how exactly to broach that topic and was pleasantly surprised when she did it for him. He looked back up at her and found those striking eyes staring back at him as she worked on opening the shirt. She knew he was a soldier and a damn good one but didn't expect there to be so many scars on his torso. When she exposed his chest she found it littered with deep scars and atrocious looking ones at that.

He saw her look down at them but she just traced her fingers over the long stab wound from a Salarian merc that punctured his lung four months out of the academy. Her hands went to her own suit; Cerrus left the decisions to her and allowed her to move at her own pace. Obviously she wanted to take things to the next level and he didn't mind that idea at all. She removed her top of her suit revealing a bra and the same V pattern markings going down her neck and stopping at her collar bone. Goosebumps raised on her skin as Cerrus lightly traced a right talon over her collar bone. He got the distinct impression that she'd never done this before.

Cerrus scooped her up and moved off the seat laying her flat on the floor settling over her as things quickly escalated from there. Cerrus rocked back on his knees and shed his tunic reveal just how extensive his scarring was. The six inch scar on his left rib cage was just one of many; he had three bullet scars, two in the right and one in the left shoulder, and one jagged scar low on his left waist. He'd definitely been through the mill a few times.

Despite his talons that were sharp enough to nick arteries he was gentle with them. He knew he could hurt her in an instant so he was careful as he helped her out of her suit he didn't want to tear clothing or flesh. Turian females were used to the males using their claws and teeth during sex, he suspected that Sidda had dealt with the rough play and came out okay. Quarians were tougher then they looked but her real danger was him giving her an infection.

Tali sat up and kissed his chest, the plates were tough but she kissed the scar on his ribs. The sensation of her touching him served to arouse him but as she kissed his skin he felt the warmth and wetness of her lips and that threw him to a whole new level. He encircled her waist with his hands and lightly ran his talons up her body coming to the bra that contained her breasts curling it up and off over her head.

Tali moaned to the scraping of his teeth and he abandoned them nuzzling her neck, biting her lightly. His drive to mate was starting to overpower him, he wanted Tali and he wanted her now. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer to her, Cerrus responded by practically laying on her and deepening his attention to the now both sides of her neck.

"I don't want to hurt you, Tali," he said quietly in her ear. The sound of his purring flanged voice was enough to get Tali completely hot and bothered.

"You won't," she replied with a sweet smile as his face remained buried in the crook of her neck. "Please don't stop." Cerrus complied but rocked back onto his knees removing the rest of his clothing then helped Tali out of hers. He hoped no one came knocking at the Mako; if they did he'd dismember whoever it was. For now he had who he wanted, he had Tali all to himself.

* * *

Cerrus woke up with the worst crick in his neck he'd ever had, Turian beds were very soft cushy memory foam that cradled their bodies. That is if they even slept lying down, most of the time they slept at an angle sitting up. The discomfort was evident as soon as she snuggled up to him but he refused to move and wake her.

He hadn't been wakened by Tali's voice; instead it was the voice of a female he could barely stand. "_Cerrus…"_ he heard in his groggy state. "_Cerrus, where the hell are you_?" It was Sidda's voice coming through his comm and he groaned loudly at the pain that lingered from how he had slept.

"Yeah, yeah, what?" he answered as Tali stirred at the noise but he indicated for her to be quiet as his comm was open.

"_We have a problem, where are you?"_ she asked and he grimaced as sat up letting everything stretch out.

"I fell asleep in the Mako, what's going on?" he asked as Tali started to put her own clothes back on, something was apparently wrong given the time. Nearly 4am by Earth's clock which is what the _Normandy_ ran on.

"_We have a problem. Comm room, now._"

Cerrus nodded as Tali tossed him some of his clothes. "On my way," he replied and shut the comm down.

"I wonder what's going on," Tali commented and she quickly got back into her suit.

Cerrus grunted as he sat on the bench pulling his boots on. Any Turian with military training, which was nearly 99% of them, could have full armor on in about 60 to 90 seconds, this was just clothing so he could literally be dressed and out the door in 30 seconds if he had to. "Something catastrophic probably," he muttered and stood after both his boots were secured. He was far too tall for the Mako and had to hunch over considerably. He watched Tali tuck her thick black hair back under the hood and heard a small cough. Immediately his mind raced, he shouldn't have made love to her, nothing was properly decontaminated, she didn't take any preventative medication, he could have put her life in danger. Tali must have read the expression on his face because she scoffed at him.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm not going to break," she said and he tried to say something but all that came out were protesting grunts. He fell silent as she touch his right mandible with her hand and smiled at him. "Totally worth it, Tyr," she grinned and gave him one last kiss before putting her mask back in place.

His worry didn't leave, he had to be careful with her, take precautions of his own now that they had a more intimate relationship but those were thoughts for another time, right now he had to figure out what the next crisis was.

* * *

Cerrus and Tali made it to the Comm Room at the same time Kaidan did and for the first time that day he didn't look embarrassed over his little driving mishap. Instead he looked like he'd just rolled out of bed. He hadn't shaved, he looked tired, and his hair wasn't prim and proper like normal.

"Where's the fire?" he asked tiredly taking the words right out of Cerrus' mouth as he joined the rest for what looked like an important briefing.

"Virmire, apparently," Sidda replied.

"What's going on?"

"The Council had an infiltration team out gathering intelligence; one of them was gathering intel on our favorite Spectre," she began.

"What did they find?" Ashley asked and Sidda shrugged.

"They don't know actually, a transmission was received on a frequency reserved for mission critical information, no information came through…all they got was static," Sidda explained.

"That's not really much to go on, Commander," Garrus commented and she nodded a little agreeing with him.

"Believe me I know that," she replied and sighed. "But if they did dig something up then we really need to have a look."

The crew could understand that, they knew the mission and they knew what was at stake but that didn't mean they needed to charge in blindly. "We have no idea what we'd be walking into then," Cerrus said but of course Sidda knew that already.

Sidda's pause felt like forever as she nodded at Cerrus. "We still have to go."

"Will the Council send backup?" Liara asked and Sidda shook her head with a chuckle.

"We _are_ the backup, Doctor," she said and sighed.

"Commander, going into this blind is a bad idea," Cerrus advised, "we have no idea what we'll find so the smart move is to take some backup and go in force."

Sidda shook her head. "The Council is not going to send any more help, _we_ are it, Captain."

"If the Council won't send more help maybe you should call on a little back up of your own," he replied and Sidda straightened now quickly finding what he was talking about.

"He could be court martialed for helping me, Cerrus," she said and Cerrus knew that but he knew when it came to her he'd break the rules.

"For you he'll risk it," he said and she thought about it a moment. Cerrus was right, Victus had already proven that he was willing to do whatever it took to help her and protect her. Asking him to play back up for something they didn't know seemed like a simple task but the Hierarchy wouldn't be kind when they busted him for it. Cerrus had a point and she figured that it couldn't hurt to ask, however, the moment she asked she knew he'd say yes.

"Alright, all hands on deck; Joker, set a course for Virmire but don't execute yet, everyone else gear up and be ready to go, dismissed," she ordered and as the room cleared she turned to the communications console, thinking. She was torn about calling on Victus or not, she didn't know what they would find or if he would even be needed. If it was nothing, just a glitch on the channel then she didn't want to get him into trouble for nothing.

* * *

The cargo bay was busy, as it usually was before a mission, but with final repairs going on for the Mako it seemed a bit worse. Garrus and Tali were testing the Mako's repaired systems; Kaidan had endured the ribbing about his driving skills and shouldered it well, he screwed up and he knew it. Garrus and Wrex were the instigators behind the ribbing but it was mostly Garrus. Cerrus got his shots in but after the first few he stopped and only chuckled at the rest poking fun at the unfortunate Medic.

Kaidan checked his medical kit as Cerrus and Ashley found a 'routine' mostly it centered around 'you stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours' when it came to attending to the weapons. Before a drop Cerrus had the same process drilled into him since boot camp when he was 15, he was pushing 36 now, and that process was to check every weapon that was going to be used on that mission, even those of your squad mates. Ashley and Wrex were really the only ones who snarled at him for it but he didn't care, if things went sideways he could end up using one of those weapons so he just ignored them and continued. At this point during his stay on the _Normandy_, much like that of his regular duty on the _Lante_, he'd modified and calibrated every weapon to within an inch of its life modifying them so they complemented the user. The only one he didn't touch was Garrus' sniper rifle; the complex high-end modifications were enough to tell him that the C-Sec officer didn't need a weapon nanny.

He went down the line checking everyone's typical loadout, no mistakes, no guns were going to misfire, overheat, or jam on his watch. He'd moved on from Tali's equipment to Kaidan and took the pistol right off the medic's hip making him pause and look up at him.

"By all means, Captain, help yourself," Kaidan said his tone flecked with humor.

Cerrus check the weapon's heat sink and then glanced down at him. "Just checking," he commented flatly, "making sure your weapons fair better than the Mako."

There was humor in his flat tone and Kaidan couldn't help but snort. Cerrus had largely let it alone but every so often he showed that he had a sense of humor. "Ouch," he replied, the amusement in his tone also clear. Cerrus slapped his left arm and moved on chuckling.

Sidda had selected her team to drop in the Mako down to Virmire, apparently the paradise planet was overrun with Geth, big surprise, and where they needed to go had a lot of defenses. The solution was to drop the Mako further up the river and take out the resistance as they went. Given that Sidda didn't know what she'd be facing she elected to take a slightly bigger team with her and a pretty even spread for talents. Cerrus, the soldier and brilliant tactician; Tali, an obvious choice to help wreck Geth; Garrus, sharpshooter and combat engineer who also basically became Sidda's second in command during all this; and of course Kaidan, bring the Sentinel Medic who could rival Sidda in her biotics.

Cerrus quickly looked Sidda up and down as she approached the Mako; it was close to drop time so everyone who was going in the Mako had begun to file in. He never liked Sidda's black and yellow armor, made her too much of a target but given her personality he could see why she didn't much care. She wanted to be seen; she wanted the enemy to know that she was on the battlefield. As far as he knew N7 colors were not black and yellow, that was a decision _she _had made, she didn't blend in, it gave her away and that was what he didn't like. Her demeanor was relaxed as she almost casually approached making a final adjustment to the Sentry Interface that ran across her eyes like a visor. She carried her usual load out of rifle and pistol. He commended her in battle as she primarily used a pistol and was a damn good shot with it.

"Any back up from the _Lante_?" he asked and she shook her head casually.

"Nope," she replied coming to a stop but not looking up at him as she checked a few things on her omni-tool.

Cerrus blinked at the one word response, a little annoyed. "Why not?"

"Because he said he couldn't, didn't tell me why, which means he probably can't," she answered and Cerrus' jaw tightened.

"Here's to hoping we don't need backup," he muttered his tone snippy and Sidda cocked her head at him.

"Someone's surly this morning," she said and didn't let him respond to that, instead she raised her voice so it carried. "Mako Team, load up."

Kaidan and Tali were the first in. "Sit in the back and don't touch anything." He heard Garrus say and shook his head; he was never going to live that down, _ever._ "You too." He heard again but that must have been aimed at Sidda.

The conversation continues as Tali climbed in. "Who's the boss here?" Sidda asked and there was a collective snort from everyone in the area. Tali took up position in the engineer seat and Garrus was next.

"In this thing…not yo-…" be bantered back to Sidda but stopped cold before he finished his sentence. "_What_ happened in here?" he demanded taking in a deep sniff through the nose, the smell was familiar.

Cerrus froze like a statue between Garrus and Sidda. "What?" Sidda asked furrowing her brow at whatever he was talking about.

"I smell Turian," Garrus went on, "only one thing makes that smell and I didn't do it." Cerrus flushed blue _everywhere_. Garrus looked over his shoulder to Cerrus who was obviously embarrassed and then to Tali who was trying her best to make it seem like she wasn't even there. "In the Mako?" Garrus asked him.

Sidda figured it out just by the way Cerrus was blushing and Tali trying to sink further into the seat. "So that's why you were hiding in the Mako last night," she grinned and Cerrus scowled jabbing Garrus in the side with a snarly 'Move.' He made a bee line for the driver's seat snarling at Garrus when he protested and his fellow Turian backed off.

There was laughing now and it only pissed Cerrus off more, they didn't mean anything by it and he knew that. He never did well with embarrassment.

"You did what in the Mako?" Kaidan asked and Cerrus just growled lowly flipping switches hard enough that they might actually break.

Sidda was having more fun at his expense than she really should have been. Tali had said nothing but was clearly embarrassed and Cerrus had reacted exactly as she'd expected. "Apparently they got it on…probably about right where we're sitting."

Kaidan was both surprised and annoyed as he looked from them to Cerrus who had his back turned. "Oh, come on, really? Couldn't have found somewhere better?" he asked and added a chuckle. He was only poking fun. "Hope you cleaned up after yourselves."

They'd all taken their shots and now it was time to apologize for it, none of them meant anything by that and Tali knew that, on some level Cerrus knew that too. "I apologize, Tali, we don't mean anything by it," Sidda assured and Tali simply shrugged with a soft noise.

"No matter," she said and looked up toward Cerrus who was probably ignoring them by now, "he is totally worth it." She giggled garnering a few laughs from Sidda in the Gunner seat and the other two further back. Cerrus' embarrassment lifted a little to her words and he smiled to himself.

"We've actually been wondering how long it would take you two," Garrus added and just like that Cerrus' mood soured again.

There was a pause as Cerrus cleared the drop with Joker. "Did anyone bet on the Mako?" Garrus asked and Kaidan answered.

"Yeah…Joker," he answered at the scoffs from Garrus and Sidda.

"Let's not tell him…maybe then we can all keep our money," she replied and Cerrus shook his head. Those bastards had a pool going for when and where he and Tali would finally mate, he thought about wringing their necks but remembered one all-important detail: this could have been worse Nov, Ruvvak, and Kalvaris could be here. This could be ten times worse and plastered all over the board the next morning. He counted his blessings where he could as Joker counted down the drop then the Mako lazily rolled off the ramp and into a freefall.


	13. Chapter 13: Virmire

_**Note: Moving right along now, here's Virmire fresh from the mint. Enjoy and please, by all means, feedback is welcome. Thanks for reading. **_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Thirteen: Virmire**

Sidda had showered already but she couldn't shake the feeling that blood was on her hands, she could still smell it. She'd changed out of her armor and into her typical Alliance blues, her armor had been splattered with blood, human blood, and she hadn't cleaned it yet. It had taken damage during the fighting; bullets, tech powers, biotics, and hand to hand had all put her top of the line gear through the ringer. She lost a lot on Virmire; trust, Vidinos' pistol, her quarry…people. It was the last one that had her in a nearly catatonic state outside Medical.

The _Normandy_ was docked at the Citadel, the Council's lead panned out…it wasn't pretty but it certainly answered some questions. Showed them how much shit they were really in, upset part of Saren's plan, and put Sidda hand to hand with the man himself. Of course now she looked like she'd gone toe to toe with a Krogan, bruising around her neck, on the left side of her face, swollen lip and jaw, black eye, and the bandaged flesh wound on her right upper arm.

"Shepard," a voice announced pulling her eyes away from the spot on the deck that she'd been staring at for an unknown amount of time. It was Anderson, she remembered that he'd asked to see her but it was something she clearly decided to ignore. She didn't want to drift too far from medical at the moment. Anderson judged her body language and the first thing he picked up was that she looked tired, exhausted really, the second thing was that she was obviously wrestling with the outcome of her mission to Virmire. "How is he?" he asked and sat down across from her.

Sidda sighed heavily but didn't make much eye contact. "Stable. Chakwas said that he lost a lot of blood but nothing vital was hit."

Anderson was careful, Sidda didn't look like she was ready to snap but he'd rather not be on the receiving end of her losing her damn mind. "What happened out there, Sidda?"

"I sent you the report," she replied quietly.

Anderson nodded, he'd read it…twice in fact. "I want to hear it from you, Sidda."

Sidda let out a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. "We made the drop on Virmire and fought our way through Geth controlling checkpoints along the river. When we cleared the last one we found the Salarian team, I ordered the _Normandy_ to land, which turned out to be a giant mistake," she told him and her tone reflected irritation, not with him but with herself. He'd gotten the basics from Garrus and Pressley but wanted to know from her everything that took place. "My team and I had disabled the outlying defenses surrounding the base but when the ship landed every AA gun blanketed the airspace. If we took off we'd be blown to tiny little bits."

Anderson listened and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pitcher that was on the table. "The Salarians?" he asked.

"They were mostly intact, fought hard, lost some people but had set up a little basecamp," she went on. "That's when he told us that Virmire was Saren's main base of operations the one we found on Rothla was a satellite…testing facility, we also found out that Saren was breeding an army of Krogan to offset the Geth…apparently he didn't have enough muscle. We had to destroy it and although Wrex disagreed he proved he's smarter than he looks. The Salarians had converted their ships drive core into a thermonuclear weapon."

Anderson's eyebrows lifted. "Well, that's one way to destroy a secret base."

Sidda snorted. "Solid plan too…Kirahee's smart…talked a lot though," she commented and then went back to it. "For as solid as the plan was it was bound to be…costly. I divided my people, took Cerrus and Garrus with me as an infiltration team, sent Kaidan with the Salarians to help with the distraction, left everyone else to guard the _Normandy_, and…and the Chief to attend to the bomb."

"I spoke to Garrus on the way in and I asked him about the…" he trailed off as if trying to find the right words to describe it without actually saying it, "well, what you found in the base…."

Sidda's pause was long, tired and thoughtful. "Sovereign."

"Care to explain?"

* * *

**Virmire days earlier

Another beacon, another download, more Prothean crap force fed into her brain. The dreadful images only added to the nightmare pile she was collecting. The feelings associated with the first one on Eden Prime, Nihlus…his execution plagued her dreams, the horrific slaughter of the Protheans that took Liara to help her understand. These images were different, more pieces to the puzzle that she still couldn't figure out. She could feel the boys behind her; Garrus no doubt worried about her well-being and Cerrus ready to pounce on any type of threat…which included her. It was a comfort really; she knew Cerrus wouldn't hesitate if _she_ became a threat.

The beacon dropped her and she felt her stomach turn, she didn't vomit though, the feelings that were associated with the images combine with the ones she had associated with Nihlus' death were hard to overcome. She felt Garrus' hands steady her, had to be Garrus, Cerrus would never show that kind of concern for her. "Oh, not another one," she groaned, her head hurt, her stomach churned…all she wanted to do was hide in her quarters for a week.

"Sidda, are you okay?" Garrus asked plenty concerned.

She took in a deep slow breath to help steady her stomach and nodded. "What's one more download…I'm starting to feel like a computer," she muttered and Cerrus looked to the holographic interface on the level above.

"Shepard," he began and gestured up toward it. It wasn't active when they had passed it earlier, "I think that activated when you activated the beacon." Sidda tracked what he was referring to and nodded at his observation, he was right, she'd walked to the end of that catwalk and nothing was there.

Whatever it was, it was eerie. It was just an interface…until it spoke.

"You are not Saren," it said, the voice was deep, mechanical, sounding like a thousand voices speaking at once. It was alien and something that Garrus and Cerrus were creeped out by but Sidda found an air of familiarity about it. Not her memories though, this familiarity came from somewhere else. The pit in her stomach grew.

"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh, you touch my mind. Fumbling in your ignorance you are incapable of understanding," the 'VI' said as the red holographic interface revealed the design of the ship that was on Eden Prime and the one that plagued her 'memories' from the beacons.

Garrus nervously twitched holding the assault rifle; just the voice of this 'thing' was enough to instill fear. "What the hell is this?" Sidda's only inkling was the growing pit of fear within, deep down she knew what this was but to her it did not have a face.

"There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension, I am Sovereign," it replied and Sidda swallowed hard. Sovereign was reported to be a Reaper ship that had the ability to warp the minds of those that were aboard it.

Her heart started to thud against her chest; it was beginning to make sense. "You're not just some Reaper relic that Saren found…you're a real live Reaper." Garrus and Cerrus blinked at her deduction and looked at each other, both with the same expression on their faces, just trying to grasp the implication of that. Sovereign wasn't just a ship, it was an actual Reaper.

"Reaper? A label given by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction, in the end what they chose to call us is irrelevant…we simply, are."

"_Condescending for a machine" _Garrus thought, the Reapers were a bedtime story, a myth, a race of sentient machines that plagued the galaxy. "The Protheans vanished 50,000 years ago…how is this possible?"

"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades, you wither and die. We are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing, your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything," Sovereign answered and Sidda's mind raced with idea of how impossible this was.

Whatever the case was, she wasn't about to just let a single Reaper rain down it's destruction without a fight. "Bring it on," she hissed in defiance.

"Confidence born of ignorance, the cycle cannot be broken," Sovereign replied.

"What cycle?" Cerrus spoke up, his tone firm and direct. So far he didn't put much stock in the Reaper theory, he was here to help catch Saren but clearly there was more to this.

"The cycle has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, they evolve, they advance, and at the apex of their glory they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first, they did not create the Citadel or the mass relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind."

Garrus' expression narrowed, everyone knew that the Protheans built the technology that was used today, the Citadel, the Relays, the Relay Monument on the Citadel…to say that was all wrong was like telling him that his DNA wasn't dextro based. "You built them? Why?" he asked letting the investigator in him take over for a minute and the Reaper seemed glad to answer, he found it strange that the thing was happily answering their questions, albeit, in a condescending manner. He wasn't sure how he felt about that…he just knew he didn't like it.

"Your civilization is built on the technology we provided, by using it, you develop along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it."

None of them liked the sound of that but Cerrus was the first to put it together, he wasn't just a dumb grunt. "They're harvesting us, letting us evolve to our most powerful before they kill us and start again," he simplified.

Now it was falling into place, the cycles that Sovereign referred to, the destruction of the Reapers, the images from the beacons. "Where did you come from?" she asked, she understood how screwed they were but there was no point in losing her cool now.

"We have no beginning. We have no end. We are infinite. Millions of years after your civilizations have been eradicated we will endure." _Eradicated_. That sounded ominous, they looked on them like vermin, she didn't know the capacity or the abilities of her enemy beyond the idea that why could wipe out an entire galaxy of civilizations.

So long as Sovereign was feeling chatty she asked the tactical question, the Reaper didn't view them as a threat so it was probable that it would answer. "How many are you?" she asked and true enough the sentient machine answered.

"We are legion. The time of our return has come; we will darken the sky with our presence. You cannot escape your doom."

The defiance in Sidda flared, she wasn't going to roll over and let this Reaper have is way with the galaxy, if more were to come she was going to make things as difficult as she could for them for as long as she could. "I will beat you, you say the cycle can't be broke, I'll prove to you it can."

"Your words mean nothing, as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over."

Anderson blinked several times as she explained speaking to a real live Reaper, her retelling was downright unsettling. 'Vanguard of our destruction', harvesting the apex civilizations, the idea that there were more of them of the same size as Sovereign was even worse, just one of those ships was going to rough enough to handle. "'Vanguard of our destruction' eh?" he commented and Sidda snorted.

"Ominous ain't it?" she asked and he scoffed and gestured at her head. "Liara kicked her way around again…helped me make sense of everything, the Conduit that Saren has been searching for is the portal that the Reapers have to use to get here…I still don't know where it is but I'm pretty sure Saren hasn't found it yet," she said. "Liara mentioned some architecture and flashes from a planet called Ilos."

"Ilos is in the Terminus, only accessible through the Mu Relay," Anderson said and Sidda understood that getting the Council to back them when it came to the Mu Relay was going to be worse than convincing them that Saren was a traitor.

"Therein lies the rub," she replied. "It requires passage through the Mu Relay and the Mu Relay is in the Terminus that no one has been able to find thanks to the supernova."

Anderson nodded, he knew that getting the Council to get off their asses was going to be a bitch but they'd jump off that bridge when they got there, right now he wanted to know what happened with the rogue Spectre. "Tell me what happened with Saren?"

"We managed to get the _Normandy_ into position and we were on our way to pull Alenko and the Salarians out of the fire, that's when the shit hit the fan."

* * *

**Virmire

The drop ship that came over head was not a good sign as Sidda and her team hugged the wall but it didn't escape any of them that it was on course for Ashley's position. "Chief, you have inbound," Sidda said into her comm.

"_Skipper, keep going I can hold them off_."

"Shepard, that's a drop ship, there are at least a dozen or more Geth in that thing," Cerrus said quickly. "No way she can hold them off."

"_Shut up, Cerrus, I can do it,_" Ashley said but Cerrus ignored her, he could hear gunfire from her end of the comm just as she ended her sentence.

"She can't, let me go back. I can get her out of there," He said.

"_Commander, we're getting overrun. We can't hold much longer,_" Kaidan's voice was serious and she could hear the weapons fire.

Sidda was torn; Kaidan and Kirahee's teams were being swarmed. She was now warring with herself as to who to go back for, Kaidan and the Salarians or Ashley with the nuke that would vaporize the base. "FUCK!" she yelled in irritation stuck between the choices. Probably not the most professional thing to do but all she wanted was one mission to actually go right.

Sidda was taking too long in Cerrus' mind. "I'm going back," Cerrus decided and turned to leave but heard Sidda shouted after him.

"Stand fast!" she barked and Cerrus spun sharply, his fierce glare boring a hole through her.

"What?" he snapped, he wasn't going to lose someone, not even someone he didn't care for. Ashley was a part of his team and he'd break his neck to save a member of his team.

Choices blasted through her mind: emotional ones, she got along better with Kaidan than she did with the Chief; logical ones, she'd save more lives by saving Kaidan and she was closer to his location; then there was the tactical one, the Chief had the bomb…the thing that was going to blow this place sky high, if they lost that they were screwed. "We're closer to Kaidan's team than we are to her, the Chief will hold," Sidda stated firmly, she was making a logical choice but Cerrus disagreed.

"Williams has the bomb, we have to protect that," Cerrus argued.

"_I can hold the position, Commander, get the L.T. and get the hell out of here,_" Ashley piped up, she didn't sound too distressed at the moment but that was sure to change.

Cerrus couldn't handle losing squad mates if there was something he could do to prevent it. He caused the deaths of nearly every member of his team and vowed that he'd never lose someone again. Under Victus' guidance he realized that there was nothing he could do to ensure that he never lost anyone, the only thing he could do was do everything in his power to prevent it. "No, I'm coming back for you."

"_For God sake, Cerrus don't be all chivalrous now,_" she hissed and Cerrus headed started to head back for the lift they used earlier. It took a hit from a destroyer and was now a burning ruin, there had to be a way back down.

"Cerrus! Get your ass back here," Sidda barked and he ignored it. "That's an order, Captain!" Cerrus stopped at that, he needed to try and save her but he understood the chain of command. Sidda already threatened to shoot him for disobeying an order and he remembered the last time he went off book. She nearly broke his jaw. "Chief," Sidda began her tone one of solemn resignation. "I'm sorry."

"_It's alright, Skip, just go get the L.T., I'll make sure this bomb goes off._"

She swallowed hard and nodded. "Let's go," Sidda said, her tone firm and jaw clenched tight.

"Commander!" Cerrus shouted and she spun moving up to him.

"NOW, Captain!" she roared as she dangerously close to losing her temper with him. "If you want to stay and succeed in committing suicide this time, fine! Garrus, let's go."

Cerrus blinked, not at her roaring in his face but at her comment about suicide, he'd tried that once and it hadn't panned out; he'd only succeeded in killing his team. "_It's okay, Cerrus,_" he heard through the comm. He didn't like Ashley but that wasn't the point. "_Thanks for trying._" His throat tightened and he jogged after Sidda and Garrus.

It was crunch time, they hadn't heard much on the radio from Kaidan or Kirahee, just gunfire but it was hard to determine exactly where it was coming from. Sidda's team worked well together and they cut through the Geth resistance to reach the platform that the teams were stranded on. "Hold on, Lieutenant, we're coming!"

They walked into a hailstorm; Geth had backed the Salarian team into a corner and began to close in. The firefight commenced between the three parties, with the addition of Sidda's team it gave them a tactical advantage by flanking the Geth. Tech powers and biotics from Garrus and Sidda toppled the enemy, and grenades from Cerrus took care of the rest. The two Turians were able to fight their way to the other team and quickly turned the tide for them.

Cerrus tore through the Geth vicious precision and he and Garrus got into cover with them freeing Kaidan up to tend to the wounded Capt. Rentola. There was still a good deal of Geth out there so Cerrus took over his position to pick them off. Garrus' sniper rifle barked twice as he one shot a Destroyer with a headshot. He made a mental note to not piss him off, he was a better shot than himself, Maridus, and Ruvvak put together. He could see the biotics flying from Sidda until a warp practically landed on him.

"It's Saren!" Garrus shouted and Sidda didn't get much time to react as a biotic power threw her into the wall. She grunted at the feeling of the biotics spreading through her body but recovered quick enough to get back into cover and avoid fire from the Geth.

"Deal with the Geth, I got Saren!" she barked and fired up at him quickly, her pistol didn't have enough punch power to penetrate his barriers. The bastard had an added attraction…he had a hover craft.

"Shepard," Saren began as he dodged one of her warps. "I commend you…the Geth were utterly convinced the Salarians were the true threat."

Sidda scoffed as she sucked up against the cover she had. "Glad you approve, now why don't you step off that thing and come have a chat with me."

"And let you undo my work? You couldn't possibly fathom the work that I have done here."

"You mean researching indoctrination, skipping arm and arm with Sovereign toward the destruction of the galaxy?" she hissed and examined the area; she needed to get Saren off that hovercraft and onto the deck with her. She spied a container that looked like it carried fuel or something combustible, she could ask Cerrus or Garrus to hit with a well-placed shot but from the sound of what was going on behind her they had their hands full. She sent another warp up toward Saren making sure the only real evasion direction put him over top of the tank that she wanted to blow sky high. Sure enough the hovercraft settled over the tank as Saren also sent a biotic power toward her. She was able to dodge it and mustered all she could into a shockwave burst directed toward the tank.

The tank exploded with the a bit more force thanks to the biotics that ripped it in half. Saren's hover craft flipped like a tossed coin, dumping the Turian onto the deck.

The explosion drew Cerrus' attention as a mere handful of Geth troopers remained. Something bit into the left side of his neck and he skittered back, his hand going to whatever it was. He knew a bullet wound when he felt it. One of those bastards shot got a luck shot in the neck. He didn't realize that he'd growled and hissed enough to get Kaidan's attention. The medic shifted over to him and for a brief moment Kaidan appeared over him, Cerrus actually saw the round that hit Kaidan…a single shot that bore into his left breast causing the Medic to topple back like he'd been jerked by a leash.

"Alenko!" he cried as he heard Garrus' rifle speak again. He could feel the blood seeping from his neck as he rolled over and hovered over Kaidan pressing his right hand over the wound in Kaidan's left chest. "Alenko's hit!" he shouted but all he heard was Garrus answer with another shot.

Sidda could hear the distinctive shots from the sniper rifle but her target was now on even ground with her. There was a reason she brought Garrus and Cerrus, they didn't need her direction, they were both seasoned in their own right and Cerrus was an experienced commander.

Saren picked himself up off the deck and Sidda looked him up and down, a threat assessment. Saren was a biotic, a capable strategist, and last but not least the best Spectre in the whole damn galaxy, renegade or not. The arm she'd noticed on Eden Prime bore a striking resemblance to that of a Geth limb…what in the hell had they done to him or what had he _let_ them do to him? "Isn't subjugation preferable to extinction?" he asked and she stopped short.

Sidda couldn't help but furrow her brow; no sane Turian would ever say that. Saren was so far gone it was almost sad, with as much time as he'd spent around Reaper technology he was obviously indoctrinated. "What the hell are you talking about?" she snarled loudly. "The Reapers are going to destroy us all and you are helping them. You've been indoctrinated and you don't even realize it."

"The more control Sovereign exerts the less useful I become," he said sending more biotics her way causing her scramble out of the way. He fired at her with the pistol making her duck and roll to avoid it, the continuous fire knocked out her shields and she felt a round cut though the armor of her right upper arm. She staggered the other direction dropping her pistol and it slid off the platform.

After recovering she turned on him reverting to strict hand to hand, every kick and punch was augmented with biotics. Saren was a tough son of a bitch but he didn't use his left arm so that was a weakness, on the other hand that side was incredible strong and durable. She got behind Saren and moved lightning fast, employing her now unique mix of Turian and Human fighting styles. Sidda never stood still enough for him, his biotics were impressive and he was still armed so she stayed behind him as well as she could. Her right fist glowed blue as she drove a hard punch into his lower right back, he hissed and growled bring his right arm around to elbow the pest in the side of the head. Sidda barely blocked it and stripped the pistol but found her arm now caught by his and he yanked her around. When he let her go she clung to his arm forcing him to bring her right back within striking distance. Another punch from her connected with his jaw, again assisted with biotics. The Turian grunted and got his hand free from her returning the favor.

Sidda saw stars for a moment and felt her mouth fill with blood as she rolled away from him. She wasn't just going to beat him; she was going to kill him. She didn't care how he got back to the Citadel, the Council was a little vague on that, all she could think of was Nihlus and witnessing his death was the driving force for her. On her feet now she closed the distance between them in a quick sprint, dropping to her knees sliding on the platform under whatever biotic he was conjuring and landed where she needed to be, behind him.

Saren growled loudly as she kneed him in the back with a biotic assist, he staggered forward which wasn't her plan, she'd intended to him knock him forward onto his face but he was too controlled for that. He roared at her, spun and she dropped him with a swift sweep from the back. The big Turian slammed onto his back and she got back to her feet.

"You were a Spectre, the best, and you threw it all away, you murdered your protégé. You're indoctrinated!" she roared at him venting the sheer anger on him finally. She was enraged with him, she'd been a Spectre for a fraction of the time he had and was disgusted and appalled with him.

Saren growled loudly at the pesky Human he'd clearly underestimated and as Sidda's body glowed a brilliant blue, he saw the Warp coming. She let it fly and Saren blocked it with a barrier causing a biotic explosion with enough force to knock Sidda head over heels back. It dazed her and she laid flat for a moment trying to recover; Saren got the last word with that match. His shadow loomed over her and he grabbed her throat picking her up and holding her at least a foot off the ground. It took Sidda a moment to realize that she was almost dangling over the edge of the platform.

"I will not let you undo my work," he growled fiercely as she felt his fingers squeeze.

"Look at what they've done to you," she managed out as it had become hard to speak, she couldn't move her jaw and the space her throat had was shrinking rapidly. "We don't have to fight…," she added as the struggle to breathe and talk worsened, "help me stop this. We can still stop this."

"I no longer believe that," he answered and though his words showed his confidence his eyes didn't. He was still in there, still a Turian in control of at least part of himself. Her world was starting to close in on itself as he slowly squeezed the life from her and then…she heard it…the familiar bark of a sniper rifle.

Garrus could hear the commotion going on behind him, a few Salarians had moved up to help Cerrus with Kaidan who had been hit with what sounded like a pretty serious wound. Kirahee had moved past Garrus after he'd picked off the remaining Geth and looked down range for any sign of Sidda and Saren. They'd heard a biotic explosion but didn't see either of them.

"End of the platform," Kirahee called out and Garrus sighted down with the scope, he saw Saren holding Sidda by the throat as high as his arm length would allow. Things went still around him as he focused on the target. Saren had his back to him and Garrus hunted for a shot, the head was obvious but given the modification to both his rifle and ammo the likelihood the round would penetrate clean through was extremely high in which case it would hit Sidda in the chest and probably kill her. His crosshairs drifted lower to the shoulders and back, it was clear that he needed to wing him, if his round went clean through it would catch Sidda in the side below the ribcage. That was much better than a large bore high velocity to the chest. He exhaled and fired. Saren's shields and barriers died a silent death as the round ripped into Saren's right upper back and he dropped Sidda. He panicked a moment as it seemed like she fell through the floor but was able to grapple her way back onto the deck, Saren barely kept his feet but dropped off the edge to be rescued by his hovercraft and sailed off into the distance. He hadn't even noticed that the craft was no longer over turned where it finally landed after the explosion.

Sidda jogged back to them with the intention of giving Garrus the biggest wettest kiss she could muster but instead found more of a problem, there was plenty wounded but the obvious ones were Rentola and Kaidan.

"Shepard!" Cerrus roared as he apparently demanded her presence.

Blood was everywhere under Kaidan, the wound was centered on his left breast just below his collar bone. Cerrus was holding significant pressure on it with his right hand but also hold his own neck with his left. Kaidan was pale and not moving when she dropped to her knees across from Cerrus.

"Kaidan? Kaidan, can you hear me?" she demanded slapping his cheek lightly to bring him around. The medic stirred as Sidda looked to Cerrus. "Are you alright?" she asked, the question directed toward him as she started to rummage through Kaidan's medical kit.

"I'm fine," he growled his wound didn't seem serious; he'd maintained manual pressure on it and hadn't passed out yet so he figured that the round didn't hit anything vital on its passage through.

The _Normandy_ arrived as Sidda applied a very generous amount of Medigel to Kaidan's entry wound and took over holding pressure from Cerrus as everyone who couldn't walk was picked up and put on the _Normandy's_ open ramp. They had to beat feet quickly or they were going to become a part of the atmosphere.

"Joker, we're in, get us out of here," Sidda ordered sharply as she settled back down on her knees holding steady pressure to Kaidan's still bleeding wound. "And get Chakwas down here, multiple wounded."

She ignored Joker's acknowledgement as she felt the subtle movement of the ship beneath her. It accelerated quickly but the fact that she'd left the Chief behind did not escape her. _"I'm sorry, Gunny,"_ She thought to herself as medical teams arrived along with Liara, Wrex, and Tali.

* * *

"I left a teammate to die on that rock," she said to Anderson while her mentor simply listened. "According to some I made the wrong decision, 'a tactically bad decision that could have endangered the outcome of the mission'," she finished sounding as if she was quoting someone. Cerrus had made his opinion clear but she told him to take a flying leap she was in command not him. The Turian was a puzzle; he liked Kaidan more than Ashley yet was apparently okay with sacrificing his friend to protect the bomb.

Anderson wasn't there so he didn't have any room to sit back and judge, he trusted Sidda's judgement; she was a fine officer and natural leader. "You did what you had to, Shepard."

She scoffed and shook her head. "I wish people would stop saying that, because the more I hear it less I believe it," she said sharply and Anderson sighed, the memory of her sitting in Anderson's place talking to Nov after he lost Tobius and Zek came to mind; now she understood how he felt. "We need to get the Council onboard with this, it's only a matter of time before they attack the Citadel and with Sovereign heading that fleet of Geth…once Saren finds what he wants that'll be all she wrote."

"That might take some convincing," Anderson sighed, the Council was about as narrow-minded as they came; they barely believed that Saren was a traitor, to tell them that a mythological sentient race of machines was back to harvest organic life would be a hard pill for them to swallow.

"Well, I'm not gonna hand over the galaxy because they're too stupid to think outside the box," she said and he shrugged.

"We'll talk to the Council; Udina might have some sway over them," he offered and Sidda said nothing. Udina had his uses but so far she wasn't truly sure he was an ally. There was something that she didn't like about him, something she didn't trust. Anderson stood while Sidda remained where she was. "I'll have Udina assemble the Council, you meet us there."

She nodded at him and watched him leave taking a few minutes before she got up from the table and headed off. Chatting with the Council was something she had to mentally prepare for, Tevos was the typical narrow-minded Asari, Valern was also the typical Salarian, they were inconsequential to her…it was Sparatus that she could potentially get to see the threat for what it was.

* * *

To say Cerrus had been quiet since they'd left Saren's base a smoldering ruin was an understatement. He was quiet anyway but this was excessive even for him. He had an argument with Sidda outside the medical bay as he gave her a piece of his mind. He didn't agree with how the mission ended, she lost Saren, she sacrificed one of her own, she put the mission in jeopardy by aiding Kaidan and Kirahee, Ashely clearly was able to hold her position and protect the bomb but if she hadn't they could have lost everything.

He was busily cleaning the blood off his armor, his blood and Kaidan's blood. Chakwas commended him on his constant pressure on the wound, Kaidan had lost a considerable amount of blood but it wasn't anything she couldn't fix. There was a bandage covering the left side of his neck, under it was a slow healing wound coated with antibiotic salve. It was a badly healing scar that had been initially treated with medigel, now he was probably going to have a rather unsightly scar to add to his collection. It was a small price to pay, after getting onto the _Normandy_ he all most passed out; apparently he'd lost more blood than he thought.

He ignored Sidda as she appeared next to him carrying her armor that smelled of human blood. "Can you make sure there's no lasting damage?" she asked and Cerrus growled at her.

"What do I look like your fucking tailor?" he growled harshly and Sidda huffed, obviously he was still sour about multiple aspects of the mission.

"You know, I don't get you," she began sounding irritated with him, "you always preach about the 'mission', and duty, and command….I had to make the hard choice and I made it."

Cerrus growled louder and stepped closer to her getting into her face. "Well, you made the wrong one!" he barked loudly, there was a clear rumble in his throat as he kept growling at her.

Sidda gave him a sharp shove backward, it didn't push him far but it sent the clear message to back off. "Get out of my face," she snarled back. "I am _not_ gonna go through this with you again. I made a decision and I don't give a flying fuck if Cerrus the Great disagrees, _deal with it_."

"I may not have liked the Chief but that is not the point. Tactically, it was the better decision. The decision _you_ made jeopardized the entire mission, do you realize what could have happened if the Chief hadn't held her position?" he continued and Sidda was already tired of this same circular argument.

Sidda growled, irritated. "I do not need tactical advice from a man who led his team to their deaths because he wanted to commit suicide." Cerrus' temper flared, offended by her persistent use of his worst mistake, and punched her in the mouth. The hit wasn't hard enough knock her out or knock her down but it did set her off balance just enough to take a half step back with a grunt. Blood filled her mouth and she took a moment as Cerrus took one step closer to her holding up his right forefinger. "That is the _last_ time you use that against me. Do it again and I will kill you where you stand, do I make myself clear, Commander?"

Sidda got the message and wiped the blood from her mouth on her hand. "Fine. Fix my armor…I have to go talk to the council," she didn't feel like going a few rounds with him and, in hindsight, he was right she did use a glaring mistake from his past against him and it was over the line.

Cerrus' fist tightened and he glared at her as she turned from him and left alone. He couldn't wait to get off this ship. Sidda wasn't a bad commander, she was actually very good but when they clashed it felt like he was in hell. He was stuck on this ship until it was over, if he left or stayed on the Citadel Victus would whoop his ass for disobeying orders. People who judged him for the incident with Blackwatch still called him a coward, if he left mid mission it would only get worse. Tali was his only saving grace, he'd never leave her.

* * *

The only Council member that looked even remotely concerned about Sidda's appearance was Sparatus; the Turian had a better understanding of her than the rest did. He'd read reports from her mission on the _Lante_ but it didn't mean that he took everything she said on faith. He knew what kind of soldier she was. Sidda had come back from Virmire looking like she'd been through the mill a few times with a report that was worrisome at best.

"Whoa. Whoa, whoa, back up…a blockade? That's it?" she asked, there was no why in hell a blockade would do a damn thing against Sovereign except irritate it. "A blockade is not going to stop Sovereign it's a Reaper for Christ sake."

"Commander, you have to understand, Saren is a threat we can recognize," Tevos said and Sidda shook her head. "If he and the Geth are foolish enough to attack the Citadel we have more than enough defenses."

"Well, you're gonna _recognize_ the threat when it shows up on your doorstep. Don't be stupid, when Saren shows up with the full force of his Geth at his back and Sovereign leading the charge a blockade isn't gonna do squat," she replied and looked to Sparatus who had been curiously quiet the whole time. "Sparatus, you read the report?" she asked and got a single nod from him. "I'm not making this stuff up, Sovereign's real and you need to be prepared. Send the fleet with me to Ilos and I'll stop Saren before he finds the Conduit."

Sparatus was quiet for a moment as he took in what she said. "Sending the fleet into the Terminus would be considered an act of war," he said finally and Sidda's expression narrowed.

"So creating a blockade is the answer? Wait for them to come to you? Get your ass handed to you in the process?" she snarked back and Udina turned toward her.

"Easy, Commander now is the time for discretion." Udina said and Sidda's brown furrowed. "Saren has been exposed, now he is no longer a threat."

"Then let me got to Ilos, one ship in stealth mode…I can be descreet," she suggested but was met with a scoff from Sparatus.

"You detonated a nuclear device on Virmire," he scolded. "I wouldn't call that discreet."

"I destroyed a Krogan Breeding facility…somehow I knew a firecracker just wasn't gonna cut it." She defended and they had to admit, taking out the Krogan was a huge win. Saren with an army of Krogan _and_ Geth would be disastrous on countless levels.

"Commander, we have the situation well in hand, we cannot send you to Ilos on a whim," Tevos began, "You say the Reapers are the real threat but only you have seen them and even then it was only in a vision, we will not invade the Terminus simply because you tell us to."

It was getting harder and harder for Sidda not to blow up on all three of them; she scoffed loudly like she was trying to stifle a sarcastic laugh and shrugged wildly. "If Saren gets ahold of the Conduit we're all screwed…case closed. I don't know what the hell it is or does but I'd really rather find out _before _he does."

Her argument died a silent death as her warnings bounced off the Council, narrow-minded fools. "Ambassador, I get the feeling that the Commander isn't willing to let this go," Sparatus said and Sidda didn't bother to hide it. She'd gnaw on this until someone listened.

"Commander, be careful…," Udina warned, "you've helped Humanity make great strides in the galactic community but now you're becoming more trouble than you're worth."

Sidda blinked, now she knew what it felt like to be stabbed in the back. "You, slimy, son of a-…"

"It's just politics, Commander, you've done your job now let me do mine," he replied sharply as he moved ahead of her.

"And which job is that?" she snorted though her tone said she wasn't being jovial about this. "Stabbing me in the back, sticking your head in the sand just like them, or kissing their ass? I'm a little fuzzy on which 'job' you mean."

Udina ignored her snappy comment. "Until further notice, the _Normandy _is grounded. We've locked out all operational codes. Thank you for your service but now it is time for you to leave."

A billion things ran through her mind, at the forefront was Ashley, she sacrificed one of _her_ people on Virmire to stop Saren and she was going to be damned if she let that be in vain. Udina sold her out; she saw that coming like an atom bomb, the Councilor she thought might be able to see reason was as stubborn as every other Turian she'd ever met. Saren was on Ilos right now tearing the planet apart to find the Conduit and she was grounded by a fucking politician. "Fuck you, Udina," she hissed loudly so the obscenity could hang there as she stormed out. She wasn't going to let Ashley's death be in vain and she wasn't about to let Saren and Sovereign win.

* * *

Garrus wasn't exactly sure what made the noise in the Rec Room but he followed the sound. It sounded liked someone threw something across the room; metal on the metal, and whatever it was now clattered on the deck. "Sidda?" he questioned seeing her facing her locker and noting that it seemed to be a metal cup that she threw. He knew she'd gone to talk to the Council and based on how she was acting it didn't go so well. "How'd it go with the Council?"

She scoffed a disgusted, irritated noise. "They grounded us," she replied and Garrus blinked.

"Why?" he blurted. "What happened?"

"Well, for one, they're fucking idiots…they don't want me to go to Ilos and start a full scale war with the Terminus, they don't believe the Reapers are a threat, they don't believe the Conduit exists so they are content to sit on their ass and wait to die," she snapped back, she wasn't angry with him and he knew that. She was frustrated with the Council's crap and that was something he whole heartedly understood.

"You said 'for one', what's the rest?" he pressed.

Sidda grunted. "Udina," she growled as she thought of what she wanted to do that smarmy politician. "that motherfucker sold me out…_he's_ the one who grounded me when I wouldn't play ball and make believe the Council has Saren contained with a measly blockade. He locked out all operation codes, we are stuck."

Garrus had moved over to the now still cup that she'd thrown and picked it up, it hadn't escaped him that she treated him like her second in command even though it was clear that Pressley was the ship's XO and Kaidan should be her XO when it came to the teams. He was flattered and proud, she trusted him and they really barely knew each other. He protected her outside Chora's Den from the assassin without even a question and now he was convinced that got his foot in the door. Then there was Virmire, he saved her life and she had already thanked him about a dozen times for it. He hadn't really had too much experience with Humans who accepted Turians as readily as she had. "There are ways around a lockdown, Sidda," he commented as he fiddled with the cup. "Most of them illegal of course."

Sidda chuckled lightly and shook her head with a smile. "You know, for a cop you do like breaking the law," she said and Garrus shrugged slightly with a chuckle of his own.

"_Sorry to interrupt, Commander,"_ Joker chimed in through the ship's comm system. _"I got a note from Capt. Anderson, wants you to meet him at Flux."_

"Speaking of illegal activity," Garrus commented dryly and received another chuckle from her as she patted his chest on her way past him.

"Come on, Vakarian, let's go."


	14. Chapter 14: Grand Theft Normandy

_**Note: Another shorty but we're moving forward getting to the showdown, still got several chapters before this part ends. Thank you to all the favorites and follows. FlowerMaiden05: thank you for the review, I promise I'll give you some more Victus. **_

_**As always, feedback is much appreciated.**_

_**Please enjoy, Grand Theft Normandy.**_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Fourteen: Grand Theft **_**Normandy**_

The _Normandy_ raced through space as fast as it could under FTL; Joker was following the coordinates for the Mu Relay and had told Sidda that it would take a few hours to get there. This was all taking too long but Sidda felt strangely at peace with it all. She hadn't been at peace with anything since the whole mess began. She'd taken things into her own hands more than once, disobeyed orders, bent, broke, and totally obliterated rules, told the Council to shove it, participated in a conspiracy, and committed grand theft. If she came out of this without being court-maritaled she'd die of shock.

The screen before her changed to her favorite Turian, she couldn't wait to actually see him again, and actually spend time without worry about the renegade Spectre she was chasing. "What happened to you?" Victus asked pausing a second between each word as he saw Sidda's battered face on the monitor.

Sidda sighed heavily and really only had one answer, he wasn't going to like it, but there wasn't much she could do about it now. "Saren happened."

Victus blinked as he leaned closer to the monitor, clearly concerned about that explanation. "You found him?" he asked with the hope in his voice, assuming she'd called to tell him that all of this was over.

Sidda gave him a long nod, he was right but it wasn't what he wanted to hear. "And lost him," she answered. Victus' expression narrowed, she had him and then lost him. He was about to ask how but Sidda beat him to it. "Found him on Virmire…an STG team cornered him and…he cornered them. I found him, we had…words, he got away, and I turned his base into a thermonuclear campfire."

Victus' expression switched from concern to confusion, given her attitude about her pursuit of Saren up to now he was a little perplexed with her current attitude. "Uhh, Sid," he began, "somehow I thought you'd be a little bit more upset about losing the guy you've been chasing for weeks."

Sidda shrugged, he wasn't wrong. "Well, I was, but now I'm cruising around in a stolen warship so I've kinda thrown everything out."

Victus sat back and cocked his head confused a lot more now. "A stolen what? What is going on out there?"

"It's a…miscommunication between me, Udina, and the Council," she replied with a sigh, this was her way of dealing with the mother of all hornet's nests she kicked. "They told me I couldn't go to Ilos to find Saren, I called them idiots, they grounded me, and so I stole the prototype."

Victus was playing catch up and he was very confused, this wasn't how he imagined her mission to catch Saren to go, he certainly didn't expect Sidda to be so jovial about having him and then losing him all in the same day. "Sid…Ilos…what is going on?"

"It is a _long_ story, Adrien, which probably ends with me being court-martialed," she said and Victus was growing irritated with coy, humorous responses.

"Try me," he growled showing his irritation.

Sidda snorted at his tone, he had a sense of humor to a point, and fencing with him only got her so far before it pissed him off. "Long story short; Ilos is Saren's next stop, now I kinda want to stop him before he gets to the Conduit and screws us all; it required me to 'liberate' the _Normandy_ with my commanding officer's blessing," she explained and Victus' expression narrowed more as he remembered his history.

"Ilos requires the Mu Relay…," he said and Sidda nodded, she already knew that and he was still trying to figure that out, "How…?"

"More Prothean crap that Liara was able to sort out, Conduit's on Ilos and we know how to get there," she said and Victus really didn't like this and the protectiveness in him came out in full force.

"Sid, I don't like this…Saren has a head start on you and probably has all of his Geth with him," he said and she shrugged slightly.

"Let's not forget about Sovereign,…a real live Reaper leftover from the last cycle," she added dryly and Victus' paused as he blinked several times.

"Alright, that's it, I'm coming with you," he decided and she shook her head with a slight chuckle. "We'll back you up."

Sidda appreciated his sentiment. "Adrien, I appreciate that but the _Normandy_ can run silent…the _Lante_ can't." He reluctantly understood. "I do have something else to ask of you though. The Council seems to think a blockade will stop Saren and his evil plan, but there's no way that'll work. With the Geth and Sovereign they'll just walk right through them."

"So, what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"He's going to attack the Citadel I just don't know when…I've put Hackett on alert and he's at _Arcturus_,"she said and Victus continued to listen. "The Citadel is convinced their blockade is enough but they're wrong, if I contact them they'll try to ground me again."

"Send me whatever information you have…I'll see what I can do to sway Sparatus and the others, at the very least I can bring a frigate to the fight if there is one," he said and she let a smile spread across her face, they thought alike…most of the time, and it was proven just now.

"There will be one…trust me," she said and he nodded.

He didn't like her cavalier attitude; it was strange…almost like she was looking at this as if it were a game now, a stark contrast to the woman who was ready to kill anyone who got in her path when they assaulted Rothla. "Sid…," he began but abruptly stopped talking. "I don't like this…you have no idea what you're going to find on Ilos, no one does…no one's been there for who knows how long."

Sidda understood his concern; she had reached the acceptance stage…that was what she'd figured. "I know," she replied quietly and gave him a smile that was meant to reassure. "Someone's gotta do it though,…and I'm the one who has all the Prothean crap in my head."

Victus' jaw tightened. "Just be careful."

She gave him another smile and a nod. "I will…see you on the other side," she told him and watched him stiffen, uncomfortable.

"Do not say that, Siddalee," he growled and used her full name, words like that were bad luck, her mission was already dangerous and she didn't need to tempt fate. The door chimed in her quarters and derailed the tense conversation.

Sidda was a little uncomfortable now that the conversation had taken a morbid turn. "I gotta go, Adrien," she said over top of his protesting, he didn't like her mindset going into something like this and tried to keep talking to her. "I love you, I gotta go," she finished and cut the link off sitting back in the chair with a sigh. "'See you on the other side.'?" she repeated out loud, she couldn't believe she said that to him. "Yeah…because that won't make him come running to stop me from doing something stupid," she said to the blank screen as the chime went off again.

Kaidan was moving gingerly. He'd been shot before but nothing quite like this, his left arm was in a sling and it hurt to move. His armor had slowed the round but failed to seal and apply the medigel properly, Cerrus' steady pressure hadn't helped him stay conscious but nothing vital was hit. He'd been summoned to Sidda's quarters when he was feeling up to it. With all the hoopla he'd heard lately he had a feeling she wanted to talk to him about what their next step was.

"Hey," Sidda greeted with a smile as Kaidan walked into her quarters, "look who's up."

Kaidan wanted to shrug but decided against it, he tried that once in Medical and it didn't end well. "Seems like I've missed a lot," he said and she chuckled. "You stole the _Normandy_?"

"Kinda had to…we know where Saren is going. The Conduit is on Ilos we just need to get there first," she said and he grimaced trying to figure out if he wanted to sit or stand, they both hurt so it didn't matter much.

"So you stole an Alliance ship?" he asked and Sidda nodded.

"With Anderson's blessing…don't worry, any repercussions will land on me not anyone else," She said and he shook his head. He wasn't questioning her motives, he felt like he was to blame for the outcome and for the loss of team member; he had to be told that Ashley died, that the beacon on Virmire was the final piece of the puzzle that led them to the destination where they could finally stop Saren and his plan. He had to be told about talking to a real live Reaper, Sovereign was an uncomfortable thought.

"I didn't mean that, Commander," he said quietly. "I just…I don't know."

"None of this was your fault, Kaidan," she said with a sympathetic expression.

Sidda saw right through him and suddenly he felt uncomfortable. "You saved me instead of Ash."

"We were closer to your position. Getting back to Ash would have taken too long for us to make a difference. I made a decision and I chose your team," she rationalized and he nodded at that, it didn't make him feel any better about it. He was alive and she wasn't, he wasn't sure how he felt about that. "So we're in route to Ilos, I've sent a transmission to Hackett apprising him of the situation and brought Adrien in on the loop to see if we can get some support from the Turians," she explained and he was quiet. "You can't go with me but I'm leaving you in command, I don't know what the hell we're gonna find on Ilos but if I'm leaving the ship you're in command."

Kaidan blinked, Pressley was her second in command. "Yes, ma'am."

"Now, I don't know what the Conduit is but I'll bet my combat pay that once he finds it his next step is going to be attacking the Citadel," she explained. "Every inkling I have from those damn beacons say that station is the key to whatever they are going to do."

She was driving at something, he could tell. "What do you want me to do?"

Truthfully, Sidda wouldn't know until she got to the lost planet but she had a standing plan. "Anything goes sideways or you lose contact with us…permanently…get to _Arcturus_, talk to Hackett, that's where I sent Adrien too. Rally the Alliance and protect the Citadel."

Kaidan nodded sharply. "Understood."

* * *

Victus really didn't like the way that conversation ended but there was nothing he could do about it now. Without the coordinates to the Mu Relay it'd be like finding a needle in a haystack so however grudgingly he did what Sidda asked. He browsed through the information she sent and scratched his head; he hadn't gotten a full briefing about her mission and what she had found along the way until he read her _very_ rough draft report of her mission thus far. The beacons, the Protheans, the Reapers…it was all hard to believe even as he read it. The readings taken from the _Normandy_ on the Geth ships and sensor data on the Reaper would be handy if it ever came up for a fight. After what was certainly an interesting read he headed to the CIC in search of his XO.

"Damar," He called and approached him handing him the datapad. Maridus turned to him and took the pad. "I want a tactical analysis for this as soon as possible, Geth ships and the Reaper."

"Get me Sparatus," he ordered with sigh, he didn't want to talk with him because he knew how this was going to go. He waited for comms to hook into a comm buoy and then waited longer for Sparatus' assistant to get the Councilor on the line.

"General," Sparatus greeted his tone tight, "what can I do for you?"

"Councilor, we need to talk," he began.

"About what?"

"Shepard and the warning she gave you…a warning that you're ignoring," the General's accusation was blunt…very blunt.

Sparatus' expression narrowed. "Your relationship with Shepard has done exactly as I expected. She's drug you into her paranoia…you could be court-martialed for acting outside Palaven's authority."

Victus ignored all but the first part, sure he could be court-martialed but that was the least of his worries. "My relationship with the Commander has no bearing on this, Sparatus, she's right and you're wrong."

Maridus' eyes flicked from Vicuts to the screen and back again, Victus had no reservations on giving people a piece of his mind. He'd gone toe to toe with the Primarch on several occasions, fought with every superior he'd ever had, and had scrapped with the Council on occasion too. It was always fun to watch.

"Mind your tone, General," Sparatus warned.

"You have backed yourself into a corner, if the station is attacked you won't be able to hold it," He said sternly.

"You have no proof, General, neither does she. She stole an Alliance warship while it was on lockdown." He replied harshly. "All this talk about Saren being the renegade Spectre…what is Shepard?"

Victus' mandibles clicked together, the comparison angered him. "Do not compare-…," he began to snarl and then got ahold of himself. He was angry but rather than erupting on the Councilor he kept it together. "Think about the repercussions if you're wrong, Sparatus," he growled and motioned to the comm officer to cut the link. He gripped the console letting his anger simmer down, he didn't like Sidda being compared to Saren, she was nothing like him. "Anyone remember when he was a very good officer?"

Maridus shrugged. "That was a _very_ long time ago, Sir," he said and he stood up straight with a deep cleansing sigh.

"I want that tactical analysis as soon as possible. Zara, take us to _Arcturus_," he ordered and Maridus gave him a curious expression.

"Why are we going to _Arcturus_?" he asked fiddling with the pad in is hands. It was a little unusual for a Turian ship to be going to the Alliance's top station.

"Because Sidda asked me to," he answered quickly and his first officer gave him a single nod before moving off to do what was asked of him.

* * *

Most of Sidda's cobbled together Saren hunting crew was on deck to view Ilos; this was a planet that had been lost for centuries. Countless expeditions had been devised to find the lost Prothean planet but none of them succeeded or at the very least got off the ground. Now, here they were, a lone Alliance warship being spat out of a relay that had long been lost.

"Whoa," Sidda commented at number of ships that came up on the scope. "Are the stealth systems engaged?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am, so long as they don't do a visual we won't be detected," Joker replied but had to admit the number of Geth ships was a little unsettling.

"My God, look at that,…a nearly untouched Prothean planet," Sidda added the awe in her voice was hard to miss.

Joker scoffed loudly. "Keyword, nearly, Saren beat us here." He refocused on the controls before him.

"Can you put us down anywhere?" she asked and Pressley shook his head and told her that the closest place with enough room to land the frigate was too far to make it on foot before Saren had too much of a head start on them. "Drop us in the Mako then."

"Negative, Commander, there's no adequate drop zones." Pressley reported. "Nearest I can find is 20 meters." Sidda sighed and shook her head slightly. _"Mr. Negative."_

A 20 meter drop zone was a huge reduction from the 100 meters needed for a safe drop; the _Normandy_ needed to be spot on with trajectory and the Mako driver needed to hit the brakes and thrusters as quickly as possible to stop in time before they crashed face first into a building. "Joker?"

"I can do it," the pilot replied and Sidda nodded, she didn't need anything else from him. If he said he could do it, she trusted him.

"Cerrus, Garrus, Wrex, gear up…Joker; drop us right on that bastard's head," Sidda said as her team turned to leave before she really finished her sentence. "Kaidan, ship is yours."

* * *

Kaidan decided that he _really_ didn't like being left behind, the _Normandy_ screamed through the atmosphere, deposited the Mako and miraculously Garrus got the Mako stopped just feet from the building they nearly careened into. Now, Kaidan was twiddling his thumbs pacing on deck waiting, wondering, listening, as the _Normandy _tried to remain a fly on the wall in stealth mode. He officially hated it.

His pacing was aggravating the CIC crew but he ignored the irritated expressions and Pressley's snarky attitude. It wasn't that he was angry for having to answer to Kaidan at the moment but it was the hurry up and wait that they were in the middle of that had him and Kaidan on edge.

"Hey," Tali greeted bringing him out of his pacing trance, "any word?" she asked and Kaidan looked down at her shaking his head sharply.

"Not yet," he said quietly, the waiting was the worst part. He realized that he wasn't the only one waiting impatiently; Tali apparently now had a vested interest, more so then when she started. Cerrus and Tali were crappy at keeping their relationship a secret, the whole ship saw it and Kaidan actually smiled to himself.

It had been nearly a half hour as the little frigate silently drifted along in orbit waiting to hear something from the Mako team. So far they remained undetected, no one looked out a view port and made visual contact with them…this muscle car of the stars was paying for itself, despite all the negativity, the hoopla, and money it took to design this ship she was the perfect thing for the job. No other ship could run silent like this, be right under the enemies nose and still not be detected. The _SSV Normandy,_ the most badass little ship in the Alliance Navy.

After what felt like hours, in reality only about 40 minutes, of waiting in uncomfortable silence Joker declared movement. It was disconcerting watching the Geth ships high-tail it for the Relay leaving them behind, it was a bad feeling to be honest. Saren must have found something and Kaidan still hadn't heard anything from Sidda. He was getting nervous; he didn't like the silence…not this type of nervous, uncomfortable silence that was permeating the ship.

"_Normandy,_" Sidda's voice crackled through, it was distorted but that didn't stop Kaidan from practically pouncing on the comm. "_Normandy, do you copy?_"

Kaidan winced at his sharp movement but answered. "Commander, we read you go ahead."

"_The Conduit is a….elay to…Citadel. Get to…ation and rally…Alliance._" The words were garbled but Kaidan got the gist.

"A relay to the Citadel?" Pressley repeated. "We need to go there…warn them."

Kaidan shook his head. "No," he said quickly, "we go there they won't listen and try to ground us again. If they are all heading to the Citadel, the defense fleet is going to need a lot of backup. Take us to _Arcturus _we gotta call Hackett." His order was decisive and confident, no one, not even Pressley, questioned it.

* * *

The _Normandy_ was spat out of the relay and screamed to the Alliance station, Hackett took Sidda's warning to heart as the entirety of the Fifth Fleet crowded the space. Kaidan's arm hurt, he'd spent too much time moving around, pacing, not paying attention to the complaining wound. He bottled it up and moved with purpose to the comm room. He was doing exactly what Sidda had ordered him to do. He needed to contact Hackett and Victus; nothing she said told him that he couldn't do that at the same time. He had the comm officer hail the Turian warship and call up Hackett as well.

The hologram of Victus appeared before him. "General," Kaidan nodded and Victus' eyes narrowed, he expected to see Sidda not one of her Lieutenant's that he vaguely remembered; he was a part of Sidda's team, he knew that, "my name is Lt. Alenko."

"Where's Shepard?" Victus asked directly as he quickly sized the young human up. Alenko, he was the Sentinel, the Medic but the last time he saw Kaidan his arm wasn't in a sling, apparently life on the _Normandy _was a bit rough. He couldn't hide the worry and wanted to know that Sidda was safe and sound.

"I don't know," he answered honestly and the last member to the party flickered in moving forward with his standing order to fill them all in. "Admiral," He nodded to Hackett respectfully. "My last contact with the Commander was distorted but I got the idea, the Conduit is a relay link to the Citadel. Not 30 seconds before that message came in _all_ the Geth left Ilos orbit…Admiral, General, they've got to be heading for the Citadel. There is no way the defense fleet is going to be able to hold them off, not with that many Geth and a Reaper at the lead."

Hackett squirmed a little; this was going to get hairy. "Lieutenant, General, I am prepared to take the Fifth Fleet in to defend the Citadel. General, we would welcome whatever assistance you can provide in that, the report that you forwarded to the fleet will prove useful against the Geth and the Reaper Sovereign."

Victus gave the Admiral a nod. "The _Lante_ is at your disposal, Admiral; we'll follow your lead." Those were some strange words, he knew Hackett by reputation he had served in 314 same as he did. After all this time it was still odd to be joining forces, especially for two prominent soldiers who'd served on opposite sides.

"Outstanding, jump prep underway, we'll contact everyone when we're ready to move. Hackett out."

Kaidan reached for the button to disconnect from Victus as Hackett flickered out. "Lieutenant," Victus began, stopping him from ending the call. "What happened?" he asked gesturing to the injury Kaidan had sustained.

"Took a hit on Virmire, Sir," he replied, his tone as respectful as Victus had ever heard, the young man was clearly someone that Sidda trusted. "Tyr…Capt. Cerrus prevented me from bleeding out."

Victus blinked, not at the fact Cerrus saved him, that was Turian training and Cerrus' 'never lose anyone ever' mentality, but he called him Tyr before he corrected himself. Sidda didn't even call him by his given name, hardly anyone called him by his given name only people he was close to had that privilege. "Where is Cerrus?" he asked rather than stand there was a dumbfounded look.

"He went with Shepard to Ilos along with Garrus and Wrex," he answered and lingered a moment obviously reading Victus' expression through the crappy hologram. "Tyr's a good friend, General, he'll bring her back."

The galaxy just tilted on its axis…Cerrus made a human friend. He thanked the Alliance officer and cut off the transmission turning to see Maridus listening in. "General quarters, Major," Maridus nodded and hit the button to sound the alert for the coming combat.


	15. Chapter 15: Indestructible

_**Note: I apologize for how long this took. I got sidetracked into my Dragon Age story and this one fell by the wayside for a bit. We are closing in on the end of this part but there are still a few more chapters to go. This chapter is titled in homage to the song I've always used for Sidda, Indestructible by Disturbed.**_

_**Thank you all to the favorites and follows, thank you to everyone for reading and hanging in there while I go off on a tangent with another story. Thank you to all the reviews, they are much appreciated. AlienSinger: plenty of Victus to come in next several chapters.**_

_**Please enjoy Chapter Fifteen: Indestructible **_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Fifteen: Indestructible**

The Mako careened out of the Relay Monument at a frightening speed, smashing nose first into the deck before flipping end over end in an uncontrolled disastrous landing. The tank rolled to the right sharply after hitting a staircase before finally coming to a halt with a screech. Smoke rose from the busted tank as Sidda finally proved that the beast was not, in fact, indestructible. The first and second axels were snapped and the right front wheel ripped off, thrown into one of the reservoirs. After everything that the tank had been through; the planets it was dropped onto, the firefights, the drop through an asteroid field onto a base that didn't exist, a trip through a mini Mass Relay finally did it in.

Sidda flopped out of the overturned Mako and crawled out of the way so the others could get out too. When the Mako exited the relay Sidda was at the helm, the Mako had been designed to take a major beating but it was never designed to travel through a mass relay. When it hit, the safety precautions to keep everyone in their seats failed and Sidda was shoved into the console hard enough knock the wind out of her. Wrex, Garrus, and Cerrus wound up a tangled heap as no one expected the crash to be that violent. Pain spread across her chest under her breasts every time she took a breath. It was calamity for a time as everyone crawled from the wreckage.

"Everyone alright?" Garrus asked and received a grumbly groan from Cerrus, nothing from Sidda, and a laugh, of all things, from Wrex.

"That's the best ride I've had all year," Wrex chuckled. "Let's do it again."

Sidda tried her best to move and coughed several times making the pain in her chest worse. "We'll need a new Mako for that," she groaned painfully and slowly moved around.

"You alright?" Garrus asked her directly seeing how slow she was moving and swiftly hauled her to her feet. He didn't believe her answer after she cried out in pain when she got to her feet.

"I'm alright…I'm alright," she said her words short, like they were trying to mask pain. She looked around, the wreckage of the Mako aside, it was clear that Saren had attacked the station. The flattened remains of husks and Geth showed the path the Mako traveled. "We gotta go…we gotta find him."

"Citadel control center, I don't know about you but I've never seen it," he said as Cerrus and Wrex checked the area for any stragglers the Mako might have missed.

Sidda had figured it out; it was something that Vigil said about the Keepers. "It's the Tower. The Keepers run the Citadel, the Tower runs the Keepers. When Sovereign sent the signal the Keepers ignored it…that's where we need to go."

Of the four of them the only one that didn't have an apparent injury of some kind was Wrex, Cerrus had received another laceration that was seeping blood down the left side of his head…it wasn't a bad wound but it was most certainly going to add another scar to his collection. Garrus had a bloody nose and was limping a little and Sidda had what she was certain to be more broken ribs. On this mission to capture Saren she'd already broken more ribs than she could remember in her lifetime. However, this time it felt different…worse, she could only imagine what it would have been like without the armor to protect her chest.

Garrus knew the Citadel better than the rest of them did and took point to take them where they needed to go. The Citadel was clearly under attack given the emergency lighting and alarms; but nobody could have prepared for an attack like this. Even Sidda couldn't have told them to expect this; the Relay Monument was just a replica…not a working mass relay…at least that had been the working theory until Saren proved them horribly wrong.

It was easy to pick up Saren's trail, he and his Geth left a trail of dead people behind, and there were some Geth and Husks that had been dropped by C-Sec before they were killed. Garrus passed bodies of people he knew but focused on leading them on Saren's path.

So far the worst enemies to encounter were the Krogan; those bastards regenerated and were as resilient as they came. The Geth were a little easier to handle, Garrus' tech abilities were invaluable at bringing them down, he hit a destroyer with a power and the weapon it was carrying exploded. It was almost laughable once it was all over, watching the mechanical beast give his weapon a perplexed head cock a split second before it blew up in his face made the whole team giggle.

Cerrus and Wrex were a force to be reckoned with, and whatever got past Wrex was taken out by Cerrus. Sidda provided support with biotics and once in a while Garrus switched over to his sniper rifle and took out the rest from a distance. Watching Wrex go head to head with another Krogan was enlightening; Wrex was a biotic, a Vanguard to be more precise, and when he was turned loose with that shotgun he just laid waste to it all.

* * *

Sidda collapsed back into the wall and squeezed her eyes shut trying to bite back the pain in her chest. She groaned and grimaced in pain, her helmet hid the pained expression but when she opened her eyes Garrus was in front of her.

"Commander," he began and she pushed him back.

"I'm fine," she growled loudly really wishing Kaidan was on the team. Something was wrong, she could feel it, this wasn't a garden variety broken rib or two.

Garrus ignored her, she wasn't fine and his Omni-tool lit up over her chest. Just a medical program Kaidan downloaded to everyone's Omni-tool. "No you're not," he growled as he read the screen, he wasn't an expert on Human anatomy but he did pay attention to the basic first aid class Kaidan put them through. "Broken ribs, fractured sternum-…" he started and she shoved him off her.

"I'm fine, Garrus, let's go," she snarled and mustered her fortitude to keep going.

With that the group soldiered on, they fought their way through his Krogan and Geth, Sidda was right about the Tower being Saren's destination, the further they pressed the more bad guys they found. When they finally got back inside after the excursion outside to get around the disabled lift helmets could finally come off.

Sidda's breath grew shorter and shorter as the pain in her chest tightened, then came come uncontrolled coughing, she got the helmet off just in time for Garrus to see her spit blood onto the deck. She saw him coming and held up her hand to stop him from aiding her. He ignored it.

"Commander-…" he ignored her and she cut him off.

"Garrus, I'm fine," she said sharply and righted herself…that was a punctured lung. That was just great.

"Sidda-…"

"Garrus, if I have to say it one more time I'm gonna shoot you," she warned sounding irritated with the mothering. "I'll be fine…let's go." Wrex was silent but understood the worry that Garrus had, Sidda was tough but she was the leader and if she died that wouldn't benefit anyone. Cerrus just eyed her but said nothing, she was strong and determined but he also said he'd bring her back alive. He didn't fancy being shot by her or getting into an argument with her so he said nothing.

* * *

Moving along now was fairly quiet; they were going in the right direction if the trail of bodies were any indication. They wasted no more time and quickly found the Council chamber, encountering the first resistance they'd had in about 5 minutes. It was Geth, fanned out and protecting the first room of the chamber, Saren was further up and Sidda guessed that they'd be spread out along the whole way. They needed to end this quick and rush Saren.

Bringing her arms around in front of her to properly hold her pistol hurt like hell on both sides but she managed through it. Her aim wasn't as accurate but her Biotics still kicked ass, her dark energy ripped the Geth apart with violent force. Wrex, Garrus, and Cerrus worked like a well-oiled machine and were beyond accurate, they knew what needed to be done and knew that the quickest way to kill Geth was with headshots so that is where every round landed. They tore through the resistance leaving bits and pieces of machine in their wake until all that remained was her prize, her quarry, Saren. He was in here somewhere.

Something wasn't right about the stillness in the chamber after the last Geth fell. The command console, or what she assumed was the command console, was vacant…something was off. "Careful," she heard Cerrus warn and had every intention of heeding it.

The whirring noise that came next was familiar, Sidda had heard it before and Saren popped up from beyond the council platform, though she wasn't sure exactly where he came from that would have hidden him and his menacing hovercraft.

The team scattered from Saren's grenade, Wrex and Garrus to one side and Cerrus yanked Sidda into cover with him. He'd kept an eye on her since the wreck, she had determination to admire but she was clearly injured, even for a Turian coughing up blood was bad.

"Jesus Christ, again with that thing?" she growled referring to the hovercraft. "How many times do I have to blow it up?" She didn't have something to blow it up this time so getting him off it or bringing it down was going to require some ingenuity.

"Commander, you continue to impress," Saren began from his position atop of the hovercraft. Sidda noticed that something was a little different about him now; he could use the Geth arm now…whatever damage that occurred to cause him to not use it on Virmire must have been corrected. "I was almost afraid you wouldn't make it in time."

Sidda grimaced. "If you wanted me here sooner you could have just sent me an invite and kept the welcome wagon."

She heard the Turian give her a single laugh. "Perhaps Nihlus was right about you after all," he replied and she took a several shallow breaths as her damaged ribs and current position wouldn't allow her to take a deep one.

"Cut the shit, Saren, you've led me on a merry chase across the galaxy, what are you hoping to accomplish now?" she asked as she surveyed the surroundings, it was a really crappy area to fight in, there was cover but no real tactical advantage especially not with him on the damned hovercraft.

"You've lost, you know that, I commend your efforts…you made it further than I thought possible but now it's time for the final confrontation. In a few minutes Sovereign will have full control of the Citadel systems, the relay will open, and the Reapers will return." Saren explained. This was as close to a standoff as they could get. He couldn't get a line of sight on any of them and he had the advantage of mobility.

"I'm not gonna let you just hand the galaxy over to the Reapers, Saren, you know that," she stated and Saren gave her an acknowledging nod. He was conflicted, even now; Virmire had planted the seed of doubt.

"Our encounter on Virmire was enlightening, you survived but that won't happen twice. Sovereign has upgraded me."

"Upgraded?" Cerrus pondered out loud to her in a quiet voice.

"I don't like the sound of that," she muttered to him and returned her attention to Saren. "What did you do?"

"Sovereign has removed all doubt." Saren answered and Sidda closed her eyes mourning the loss of the tiny hope she had to flip him. "I suppose I should thank you Shepard, after Virmire I couldn't stop thinking about what you said, about Sovereign manipulating me, about indoctrination...the doubts began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation; I was implanted to strengthen my resolve. Now my doubts are gone, I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics. Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you."

Anger burned up and down Sidda's spine and she gained a blue aura momentarily telling Cerrus that she was pissed. She knew she saw the real Saren on Virmire, she had a chance to turn him but now that bloody machine got to him before she could again. "As a slave? Fuck you!" she barked as her anger got the better of her. "You scared Sovereign when you began to think for yourself, to see right through his motives and you let him implant you, don't you see he's controlling you now?"

Saren blinked at that, something wasn't right…this was all wrong. "The relationship is symbiotic. A true union of machine and organic, I am the next step in our evolution, Commander, join us."

"He's using you! _We_ can beat this. _You_ can beat him, I know you can. I saw it in your eyes on Virmire. I know you're still in there. Help me!" She argued trying her best to appeal to Saren. Not the implants, Saren, the Turian she saw in his eyes on Virmire. "I can stop this! I can stop him from taking over the Citadel, move aside and the invasion will never happen."

There was an internal conflict going on, Sidda was correct, Saren was still in there. He may have been a hard to take, a racist, with a serious bug up his ass, but he was the best Spectre in the galaxy. Turning him into Sovereign's top Lieutenant wasn't easy for the Reaper; Saren had a mind of his own, and was very intelligent. No matter the amount of the Reaper tech that Sovereign put in him Sidda was right, Saren was still there, the _Turian_ was still in there. "We can never stop this," he said after a moment sounding frustrated and Sidda actually allowed a slight smile. "Not forever, the Reapers are too strong. The Protheans were the pinnacle of existence and the Reapers wiped them out."

"You know this is wrong, Saren, fight him!" she shouted. "I know you have your flaws but we all do, Nihlus spoke highly of you, he trusted you, I remember you came to get him after he was captured by the Batarians. You know that Sovereign is dangerous, that the Reapers will annihilate the galaxy, fight him! Help me!"

There was a pause as she heard Saren begin to tell her that she was right and then he growled in pain dropping to one knee. "I'm…the implants…Sovereign is too strong…I can't…it's too late for me."

Sidda got to her feet stood face to face with him much to the utter dismay of her team. Cerrus tried to pull her back down but she waved him off. "It's not too late. Fight him! Fight him and help me. Move aside!"

Saren remembered all he'd done in his service to his master. All the people he'd killed, Humans, Asari, Quarians, Salarian…Nihlus. Nihlus was his student but he'd come to think of him as a brother, he fought with him, protected him, counted on him…and he killed him. He'd killed the only person he trusted enough to call a brother, the despicable act haunted him and he remembered it all. The trust Nihlus had in him when unworriedly turned his back to him, the blue mist that sprayed when the bullet blew through his head. The memory slapped him in the face and it horrified him with disgust and shame. "What have I done?" he said quietly as he reconciled all the reasons that she was right and he was wrong. He locked eyes with her and for the only moment in his life he respected a human. Shepard had showed him the meaning of true resolve and dedication and he was glad she had. "I'm sorry," he told her and put his pistol under his right mandible. "Thank you, Shepard."

The shot rang out and Saren fell from the hovercraft, he took his own life after being pulled back from the dark side. Sidda wasn't sure how she felt about it; of course she was thrilled that he was finally dead but it was a bittersweet sense of victory, he died remembering who he was, seeing the indoctrination and he went out on his own terms. It didn't feel like a victory.

"Son of a bitch…" she commented and took a moment to let it all sink in. They were quiet as she pulled the OSD from its hidey hole in her greaves and inserted it just as Vigil had instructed. She tapped a few keys letting the Citadel do the rest and opened a channel with her Alliance code.

"_Shepard? Shepard, do you read?"_ a familiar voice crackled through the comm. Sidda nodded to herself with a slight smile. _"Come on, Commander, talk to me."_

"I read you, Joker, status?" she asked as the controls beeped a few times.

"_Yeah, we're here on the other side of the Relay with the entire Arcturus fleet, open the Relay and we'll join the fray."_ He reported and she gave the console a puzzled expression. Vigil had said the OSD would return control to her and unlock the Mass Relay.

"_This is the Destiny Ascension we, need immediate support…we have the Council onboard." _Another voice cut in, probably the commanding officer of the council's flagship.

"_Commander, did you get that?"_ Joker asked and she nodded even though he couldn't see it. _"How do you want us to play it?"_

Sidda gave it a quick thought, there were pros and cons to the decision and they all crashed through her mind. "Unlocking the relay now, Joker, save the _Destiny Ascension_. I repeat, save the _Destiny Ascension."_ She ordered and Cerrus stepped toward her with an expression like he was just about to disagree with her.

"Commander, no, save your fleet," he blurted and she looked over at him briefly. "You're going to need all the firepower you have to take out Sovereign."

Count on Cerrus to take the opposite side of whatever she said. "They'll still have enough to hit Sovereign after they clear the _Destiny Ascension,_" she replied and Cerrus shook his head.

"Commander, you don't know that, save your fleet," he argued and the other two weighed in.

"I agree," Wrex commented and Garrus glared at him as did Sidda.

"There are ten thousand people on that ship, Cerrus, are you saying just let them die?" Garrus snarled and Cerrus embraced the idea that he was at odds with everyone.

Cerrus knew the basic specifications of Asari ships, they built them tough. "The _Destiny Ascension _can hold, you have no idea what it's going to take to destroy a Reaper," he said and Garrus scoffed loudly.

"You really are an asshole," Garrus commented and Cerrus' jaw clenched as he glowered at Garrus.

"Say you save the _Ascension_ and you lose a lot of ships doing it and can't put down Sovereign, then what?" he had a point but Sidda's decision was made.

"The decision has been made, Cerrus, can it," she snapped but she figured that he wasn't going to just let that go. Cerrus was a good officer, a hell of a soldier, and usually right despite his tact. He argued with her more often than not and she knew he was going to argue about this and cut him off at the pass. "Go and make sure he's dead," she ordered now standing face to face with him. Sidda was pointing to where Saren fell through the glass. Her tone was enough to make him stop fighting; he didn't agree and grudgingly did as asked.

* * *

The Citadel fleet was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer force of the Geth; it was too late now to admit that Sidda was right, it was all a fight for survival. The Defense fleet wasn't just going to step aside and stood their ground however futile.

Victus stood on the CIC as the _Lante_ exited the Relay at the head of the line with the _Normandy _and Hackett's ship _Orlando_. The order went out from Hackett to save the _Destiny Ascension _andVictus agreed, they had to do it quickly though since the target was the Reaper. If the Alliance fleet got bogged down trying to help the behemoth Asari ship they wouldn't have enough left in both time and firepower to deal with Sovereign.

"_Normandy_, go after Sovereign, the rest of us can handle this," Victus ordered and came to realization after he gave the order that this wasn't his show, he shrugged it off and dealt with it. "Tactical?"

That was Maridus; he tapped the screen before him and studied it quickly as the computer laid out what he needed to see. "_Destiny Ascension's_ barriers are nearly depleted, major hull damage to the ventral." He reported.

"Zara, take us in," he ordered. "Weapons, target the nearest Geth ship attacking the _Ascension_ and fire."

The fleet opened fire all at once but it was ugly. The ship shook under Victus' feet and he gripped the console next to him. Maridus' console complained more and more and he interpreted the results. "The _Cape Town's _been destroyed."

"Maintain course," Victus ordered and looked at the tactical screen. "Bring up the GUARDIAN; target the cruiser, fire when you get a lock."

The majority of the fleet hit the _Destiny Ascension _with overwhelming force but the Geth saw them coming, it deteriorated into a giant mess as the Alliance charged in drawing the Geth. The pitched battle was a fireball as the Geth destroyed two Alliance cruisers during the initial run. It took a few nail biting moments to clear the _Destiny Ascension_ but the brute force of the Alliance accomplished just that.

"_Destiny Ascension_, you are clear," Maridus informed them over the comm. "Retreat, I repeat, retreat and protect the Council."

With the arrival of the Alliance, Sovereign bypassed everything to get to the Citadel and the _Normandy_ was in hot pursuit. Letting the little frigate go was the best option and the rest of the fleet would have joined had they not gotten bogged down by all the Geth that was swarming around like fireflies.

The _Lante_ shook to the right and to the left as the dorsal was hit twice in rapid succession. Alarms sounded through the Turian frigate as the ship complained about all impacts it was taking. The ship was being swarmed. Victus growled loudly as the hits just kept on coming, his ship was tough but repeated hits were going to become a problem if they didn't make them stop. "Zara, get us out of the middle," he barked.

"The whole thing's a '_middle'_," she snapped back at him and Victus growled to the pilot.

"Get us out of here!" he barked louder uninterested in her opinion. He heard his pilot growl out frustration and Victus felt the subtle movement beneath his feet. It may have been subtle under his feet but he knew that Zara was probably maneuvering the frigate in some highly evasive movements. The _Lante_ fired its mass accelerator as the _Orlando_ dealt with the swarm that was pestering the Turian ally. "Pursuit course for Sovereign, go!" he ordered and Zara immediately changed the frigate's direction.

Maridus assessed the tactical screen as the _Lante_ screamed toward the Citadel. "The _Normandy_ is being pestered," Maridus announced, "two ships…dead ahead."

It had been a while since Victus had been in a battle like this; he was lauded for his unpredictability and his unconventional tactics. "Tactical, target both ships, one with the GUARDIAN at full and one with the Mass Accelerator," Victus ordered and of course Maridus voiced the warning he already knew.

"We'll suffer a severe power drain," his first officer said and he nodded in a silent acknowledgement. This order was carried out and the Turian frigate fired both its main weapons at once. The drain on its power was felt immediately, the power grid flickered as GUARDIAN sucked it away. The Mass Accelerator hit its intended target but did not destroy it, the GUARDIAN, however, hit its target dead on and blew it into a cloud of vapor.

The Citadel arms were closing fast, they couldn't dally any longer. "_Normandy_, get to Sovereign, we'll entertain the enemy, go now."

"_Understood, Lante." _They heard Kaidan's gravelly voice reply. The _Normandy_ disappeared into the Citadel's arms as it barely made it before the station closed to a bullet shape. Now it was practically impenetrable to the outside forces. Zara's piloting skills were put to the test as she didn't wait for orders to position the frigate for a kill. The remaining Geth ship that'd hit by the Mass accelerator was rendered into debris quickly by the weapons team.

"General," Maridus started as his screen lit up with more targets, "engineering reports power grid is down to 52%. The full blast from the GUARDIAN took a lot out of it."

"She'll hold," Victus replied. "Tell Vellereck to shunt as needed."

"The _Warsaw's_ in trouble." Communications reported. "Barriers are down…weapons are offline."

"Take us to them," he nodded, the fight outside had become a bit more manageable.

The Alliance cruiser was in the middle of a three on one fight and losing the battle. A hit from a Geth ship punched a hole vertically on the port side, she was drifting, and listing as the Geth continued to pummel the mighty cruiser. They didn't have much time and Maridus' tactical screen blared that as it analyzed the situation. Victus hovered over his shoulder quickly deciding the next course of action.

"Weapons, targeting solutions, fire when you get a lock," he ordered.

As soon as the _Lante's_ targeting system locked the frigate opened fire. She may have been an older Turian ship but she still packed a hefty punch. That wasn't to say the fight was easy, the Geth turned to fight them and landed more than a few direct hits but the _Lante's_ barriers held despite the complaining alarm for their power grid. Firing the GUARDIAN at full blast, while at high speed, with the barriers at full, and using the Mass Accelerator was a bit much and must have damaged it since its recharge was supposed to be done by now instead of moving at a snail's pace.

There was smoke in the air in the CIC when a conduit blew out, starting a small fire. It was quickly put out but it added a haze to the tactical lighting. "_Warsaw_, you are clear," Victus said there was a pause before the response came through.

"_Thanks for the help, Lante, I owe you a drink."_ The cruisers' female commander replied back and Victus allowed a soft snort.

"My pleasure, Captain…Turian Brandy," he said back and had his ship break off to finishing mopping up the Geth.

They didn't get far, maybe a minute later the _Lante _took a hard hit that made the warship buck violently. People still standing were thrown off their feet including Maridus who tumbled into the weapons station. That wasn't a normal hit; something actually punched through their barriers and hit the hull. "Report," Victus said but Maridus was already ahead of him scrambling back to his multi-purpose station for a report from the ship, they were no longer moving under power and they could both feel it under their feet.

There was pause as he took in what the screen was telling him. "Core's offline, weapons and barriers are down."

Victus let a curse escape as he punched up his engineer on the comms. "Vellereck," he barked but his chief engineer cut him off.

Vellereck was expecting the General any second and as soon as he heard the General's voice he didn't wait on ceremony. _"We took a hit directly above the core, caused a power surge. I'm bringing her back online now, two minutes."_ He reported and Victus swore again.

Two minutes may have sounded like a short time but they were on the combat clock now. Two minutes was an eternity. "We're not gonna be here in two minutes," he hissed. "Tactical?"

Again, Maridus, as first officer he had multiple functions but Tactical was his main. "Two Geth ships inbound on attack trajectory." There was pause before he spoke again accompanied with a warning alarm. "They're firing weapons. General, without the barriers, if they hit we're finished."

That really didn't need to be said, Victus knew that. "Well aware of that," he replied flatly and keyed the comm again. "Vellereck, barriers in the next 30 seconds or we're all dead."

There was no response and his ship was still half dead in the water. This wasn't how he saw going out, his ship with no power, and no teeth. There was a rough shake but it wasn't nearly as hard as he expected, it didn't feel like an impact and he gave Maridus a curious look, his first officer was gazing at his screen blinking a few times. Something was wrong and he could see it on his face. "That was the _Warsaw_…" he began quietly, "she took the hit for us."

Victus blinked, they'd just save that ship, her barriers were down and weapons were offline but they still managed to save the ship that saved them. "Status?"

His first officer returned to business as the frigate hummed back to life and console complained. "She took both hits…they're gone." It was a sacrifice that wouldn't go unnoticed it was just that now was not the time.

"Back online, Adrien," Zara said in the comm and Victus looked to his XO.

"Bring us about, charge all weapons," he ordered and gave his XO a very pointed look. "Find the two that took out the _Warsaw_." Maridus nodded sharply and fed his tactical data into the comm and navigation system.

"Grid's at 40%...Vellereck reports he can't get it to hold a charge," Maridus informed and Victus didn't care.

"Divert all power but life support and barrier to the weapons and ram it down their throat." Maridus nodded at the order and passed it on, he found the ships that'd sunk the _Warsaw_ and weapons got a firing solutions on them as they screamed toward them as fast as they could, charging their weapons as they did so. When they were in range she opened fire, both Geth ships took several direct hits in rapid succession and never stood a chance.

As the battle wore on, it was evident that the Geth were on the losing side of it, but they still knew nothing about what was going on inside the sealed tin can until the arms started to open revealing a perched Sovereign being harassed by the _Normandy_. As soon as ships could get a lock, the ones that weren't actively engaged in another fight, opened fire until the Reaper blew apart sending massive chunks of debris hurtling into the Ward arms. Most people who witnessed the destruction of the menacing vessel looked on in shock, no one had ever seen or heard of anything like Sovereign but here it was…a sentient ship, and now it had been destroyed by the Alliance.


	16. Chapter 16: Hero of the Citadel

_**Note: My apologies for the long wait on this, I was cruising along in the Relic so I just kept going but now we're back. As predicted, Andromeda did consume my life. 102 hours and my first play through later I'm on deck for a second. The next chapter here is nearly completed so it shouldn't be long until that is finished which will, in theory, end this part of the story and then I will move on to ME2. :) **_

_**Thank you for the review Peebee, if anything with Andromeda on the brain it should kick start my Mass Effect brain more. And I promise I will not be posting any new stories until I get this one further along, y'all have been plenty patient with me. **_

_**This chapter mostly wraps things up before my bombshell waiting in the wings so it's a bit shorter. **_

_**Please enjoy Chapter Sixteen: Hero of the Citadel. **_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Sixteen: Hero of the Citadel**

When the fighting was over, the Alliance swarmed the Citadel and helped C-Sec clear it; Victus sent both of his ground teams, himself, and Maridus to help. Victus made a bee line for the Council chamber and spent an enormous amount of time sifting through the rubble; a great piece of Sovereign all but destroyed the chamber and after hours of sifting through the calamity Kalvaris found Sidda. She was alive, but in rough shape.

Victus had spent much of it pacing around in Citadel Hospital worried about Sidda. She'd been in and out of surgery twice to mend internal bleeding suffered either in the Mako crash or when Sovereign exploded. The rest of the team had been treated, Garrus held for a leg injury, and released to join in the effort to clear the station.

Three days of being awake and laying in a hospital bed Sidda was becoming a terrible patient. She wanted out and was tired of being mothered. She was surprised to see that Victus was there every day, nearly all day.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" she asked and Victus simply snorted. "A ship to run or something?"

"No, the crew is helping with the Citadel and I am where I'm supposed to be." He replied casually, he didn't give up work entirely; he had a continuous stream of reports that were dropped off by various members of the crew.

"Watching me recover, slowly?" she asked and he set the pad down on the table.

"Protecting you." He clarified. She cocked her head to him and narrowed her eyes but he beat her to it. "Hospitals are a dangerous place for people…especially for people who have, up until recently, been targeted by assassins and indoctrinated rogue Spectres."

Sidda smiled to him flattered by his concern for her safety. "My knight in shining armor."

Victus looked up from the pad. "What?"

She chuckled. "Medieval Earth history; the noble warrior in a suit of armor always protected the damsel in distress." She explained and Victus snorted. Humans had some interesting tales.

"Well, if you're the damsel in this story than Kalvaris is your Knight…not me." He informed and Sidda chuckled making a mental note to thank him when she saw him next.

"So, what's been going on while I've been tied to bed?" she asked.

"Clean up. The Presidium and Zakera Ward took the most of it, the Council Chamber got crushed…I put the crew of the _Warsaw_ in for the Star of Terra." He told her and Sidda's brow furrowed. "That ship saved us…took a hit for us with absolutely no barriers."

Sidda had gotten a lot of information thrown at her since she woke up, the number of ships lost was one of them and she nodded to him.

* * *

Part of Victus' self-appointed job was running interference; he was protecting her from though who would want to hurt her and from Udina, who'd shown up several time to talk to her and been kicked out each time by Victus and once by Hackett. He hadn't seen him in a while though but of course it didn't last long, Udina had circled back and was now pestering to get into the room to talk to Sidda.

"I wish to speak with Shepard." Udina said but Victus didn't move from the doorway.

Victus looked over his shoulder to Sidda finally feeling good enough to sit up. It wasn't like she couldn't hear who was at the door and knew that Victus had the same opinion about Udina that she did. Udina could kiss her ass and take a swan dive off of what's left of the Citadel Tower. She shook her head slightly and that was all he needed. "Nope." He said simply looking down at Udina.

"I beg your pardon?" Udina asked as Victus didn't move.

Victus' expression didn't change. "No." he repeated his tone clear and firm.

Udina straightened; he was the ambassador and shouldn't need to ask permission to see Earth's only Spectre. "I must speak with her."

Victus' posture straightened, he would have loved nothing more than to punch him in the face. Sidda had been right and trusted Udina to have her back; he didn't and instead stuck a knife in it. "Then you should have listened to her a week ago." He stated and Udina glared at him.

"General…-" he began and Victus' held up one hand silencing him with a gesture. It was a power that Victus had perfected over the years; with the exception of Fedorian he could silence anyone with a gesture…Udina was no different.

Victus' tone dropped reflecting the seriousness of mood. "She doesn't want to see you and you're not getting in." he said and Udina huffed grudgingly leaving. Victus was an imposing figure and even Udina saw that and decided not to press.

Sidda chuckled as Victus turned toward her; he was the best watchdog she'd ever had. When he turned back to her he noticed her smiling and gave her a curious expression. "That's worth an instant replay…do it again."

Victus snorted and sat back down in the chair next to her bed. "He's been hovering the whole time you were in and out of surgery."

"The Council wants my opinion on who the human Council member should be." She said. Anderson and Hackett dropped by and dropped that little gem on her when she first came out of surgery. "He's probably trying to figure out how to get me to recommend him after he threw me under the bus with the Council."

Victus sat back down. "Oh I wouldn't do that, Sid." He snorted; _nothing_ good would come of that. "I can think of a thousand ways that would bite you in the ass."

She could too and chuckled. "Oh yes…" she replied then grumbled as she fidgeted in the bed. "Come on, Adrien, will you spring me from this joint…get me out of here."

"They don't want to release you yet." He replied sorting the datapads.

"Adrien…"

He held up his hand demonstrating his power. "You are not getting out of here, yet, not until they are certain that you're okay." He told her with a light tone.

"Adrien…"

"Rest."

"Ad…-"

"Rest."

Sidda's eyes narrowed and she grumbled. She didn't want to stare at the ceiling anymore, be poked and prodded. Victus was a good watchdog but apparently an even better Warden. There was silence as he started to scan through the report Maridus has dropped off. Her eyes drifted to him, the quiet Turian couldn't just sit and do nothing, he was always working. "Well, so long as I'm here and you're here," She started dropping her tone seductively and Victus stopped reading but his eyes met hers. "there's something you can do for me." He knew her flirting tone when he heard it and cocked his head.

"Precisely what did you have in mind, Sidda?" he purred setting the pad down and leaning in close to her.

Sidda's expression was sultry and she grinned, the smile that drove him crazy. "Hmmm…well," she started as he got closer. "you could get me a drink, Warden Adrien."

Vcitus groaned loudly and laughed, she played him. "You are a mean woman, Siddalee Shepard." He chuckled.

"Get me out of here, Adrien." She spat with no heat and he chuckled again, she was a terrible patient and clearly going stir crazy but he wasn't letting her go.

Sidda was reminding him of his son. "No. Now quit being a stubborn patient and heal…I'll be back with your drink, you tease."

* * *

The human doctor, who Sidda had seen more than Victus lately, pressed on her new incisions. She was healing well and he gauged her response as he pressed the tissue. Sidda hissed a few times but he found no infection. "You're healing well, Commander." He said. "The tenderness should pass soon just make sure you continue to take it easy for the next few weeks and you should be cleared for duty." He lifted the gown more to check her other major injury, the fractured sternum. "How's the breathing?"

"Better." She nodded, there was still some soreness but the bone healers worked well. "Still can't take a deep breath but it doesn't hurt as much."

"Good, we'll keep you for a few more days and then you can get out of here." He told her as the door opened. Nov didn't realize and averted his eyes from Sidda half-naked.

"I'm sorry." He said immediately. "I'll come back."

Sidda pulled the gown down. "No, Cal, it's fine. We're done." She said and the doctor nodded tapping furiously on her chart before clearing the room. Nov she hadn't seen at all since she had been trapped in the hospital.

"I'm sorry." He said again, it wasn't his intention to invade her privacy. "I didn't know."

Sidda waved him off as she stood up to stretch her legs. "Nah, don't worry about it." She told him with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"The General got called away; he still seems to think you're in danger, he didn't want you left alone so I volunteered." He explained.

Sidda tinged pink, the Turians cared so much for her and it made her smile. "You volunteered to protect me?"

He cocked his head to her, he do anything to protect her. "Of course I did, what kind of question is that?" he chuckled and Sidda did the same. "You had me worried, Sid." He said his tone serious now. When Kalvaris pulled her from the rubble they all thought she was dead, he barely held it together but the thought of her dead was nearly maddening. If she couldn't be his he'd rather have her in his life in come capacity than gone completely.

"I know." She replied with a meek smile, she knew he cared deeply for her. "I'm sorry."

Nov shrugged, she was going to be okay and that was enough for him. His eyes surveyed the room as she climed back into the bed carefully, there were two bouquets of Turian flowers and several arrangements he wasn't familiar with. He poked through the Turian Orchid's; the name on them said Victus. Nov never through to get her anything…Victus had. Victus broke almost every rule to help her, risked a court-martial, hell, it was possible he still could be. Nov could feel his heart sinking knowing that as long as Victus was with her he never had a chance. It was easy to see the affection they had for each other and Nov swallowed the confession he'd thinking about day and night. He needed to tell her but he feared her reaction and he feared the consequences from either response.

"Adrien brought those." She commented. "Said they're from-…"

"Palaven." Nov finished. "Hard to get out here. Expensive." He went on, Victus didn't skimp apparently. "We grow these on Rylo but they never come out quite as hardy as they are on Palaven…I like the Lily's better."

Sidda giggled. "You like flowers?"

Nov snorted and checked out the rest. "Yes, I like flowers." He laughed softly. "My mother's a Botanist."

Sidda didn't know that, in fact, she didn't know much about his family other than the fact that he hated his father on an extreme level. "I didn't know that."

Nov grunted, it wasn't important information to give out. He loved his mother and went to great lengths to keep her protected. "These are nice," he said sniffing an arrangement he wasn't familiar with. "where are these from?"

It was the bouquet that Chakwas brought. "Earth." She answered. "That's a Spring Mix."

Nov grunted again and turned away finding a seat. "So…I remember you did this for me…figured I'd return the favor." He said producing a deck of cards."

Sidda laughed. "Well, as much as I like five card draw, what you really could do for me is spring me."

Nov scoffed loudly as he shuffled the cards, Sidda was always amazed by the dexterity they had with those talons. "The General said you'd say that, told me to tell you: no."

She picked up the cards he was dealing out and organized them quickly. "And what else did my overprotective lover say?"

Nov tried to ignore that phrasing but part of his felt the sting of it. "To wait on you hand and foot but not let you escape."

She laughed. "Come on, Cal, I broke you out." She pressed, it was friendly banter, he'd never let her leave here if Victus told him to keep her and she knew she had to stay.

"No." he answered. "Cards?"

Sidda looked at her hand and shook her head. "Nah, I'll play these."

Nov froze, that was not a good sign in any card game, he sighed heavily and took three dreading what hand she'd been dealt. "Two pair." He announced cautiously. It wasn't the best hand ever and he knew that.

Sidda shrugged, for two people playing a two pair with threes and tens was respectable. "Spade flush."

Nov blinked. "What the fuck…" he muttered with a snort. "right off the bat I deal you a flush?" She chuckled to him and her smile nearly killed him. As much as he wanted, or needed, to let her go he just couldn't so he made the decision to distance himself, it was a good thing that Cerrus went on the assignment and not himself. He never thought he'd think that but there it was. She wasn't for him.

* * *

A week had passed and Sidda was finally released from the hospital, she wasn't free though, she had strict orders to take it easy and avoid anything strenuous. The Citadel was still a mess and Sidda wanted to go back to the _Normandy_ or the _Lante_ but she was ordered to remain on the Citadel until otherwise instructed by the doctor. It was surreal to think of just how close she came to death.

Once the dust settled from all the fighting and debris everyone wanted a piece of her. Reporters, military, diplomats, and of course the Council, Victus had kept anyone unwanted at bay as Hackett and Anderson did the rest. She had still stolen an Alliance ship, disobeyed orders, and wrecked half the Citadel…she had some things to answer for. Victus was in hot water as well, for someone who wasn't supposed to be there he was certainly highly visible in the defense of the station. It didn't take long for the Hierarchy to figure it out and pounce on him.

Sidda observed herself in the mirror, with her shirt lifted up she was fixated on the three new surgical scars she'd acquired over the past week and a half. Two of them were to repair the damage that caused internal bleeding the third was to fix her punctured lung. Crashing the Mako nearly killed her but it did so slowly. She'd overheard the doctor telling Hackett and Anderson that if Kalvaris hadn't have found her when he did she would have died. They nearly lost her during the first round of surgery and then again afterward which prompted the second surgery.

"Doctor said the scars would fade in time." Victus said from the door to the bedroom. She didn't hear him come in and was startled a little more than she felt she should have been by his sudden appearance. She was still a bit jumpy.

She scoffed and let her shirt down turning toward him. "And what's one more scar, or three, in the grand scheme of things?" she asked gesturing to the shrapnel scar on the left side of her face.

To be perfectly honest Victus didn't care, she was a soldier and soldiers acquired scars, it didn't diminish her in the slightest. "Doesn't matter." He shrugged as she moved toward him. "I like your scars…you're still beautiful.

She blushed and felt butterflies in her stomach, he was so very sweet, you wouldn't think it to look at the battle tested Turian but he was as soft hearted and romantic as they came when he wanted to be. She giggled but said nothing to his statement, nothing needed to be said, he wasn't looking for a reply he was simply speaking the truth. "So, how'd it go?"

"Oh, I'm in trouble…again." He answered bluntly. "I misused a military asset and was not where I was ordered to be. Sparatus helped smooth everything down though…I think he realized how close we all came to annihilation because of stubbornness." He explained and sat down in the chair to his left. "Then Hackett asked to speak,"

"Hackett?"

"Yeah…he said that without Maridus' tactical analysis ahead of the battle the outcome might not have been as efficient…he had more but I was more stunned by the idea that a human Admiral who I probably shot at during 314 would step up and put in a good word for me." Fedorian was pissed, that he was aware of, but having the Council and the Alliance behind him would definitely help, he counted his blessings that the Hierarchy didn't know about the Rothla intelligence that was passed on…he'd be court-martialed for that and Desala would be jailed. He grabbed her arm and pulled her onto his lap. "And you?"

Sidda giggled as he gently cradled her careful to avoid the tender spots. "Oh, I stole a warship…they're saving my ass chewing until I get to _Arcturus_. Both of us…me and Anderson."

"Seems I've rubbed off on you." Victus purred and traced his right index finger down her temple and cheek. He was a wild card, played fast and loose with what was accepted and it worked for him.

Sidda chuckled; it was odd how alike they really were, the similarity wasn't something people usually saw but the reality was that Humans and Turians were more alike than people thought. "I was a hellion long before you, Baby." She took in a breath as Victus growled and raked his teeth on the left side of her neck.

* * *

The _Normandy_ sustained damage during the fight but it was relatively minor, in the grand scheme of things the _Lante_ took more damage trying to protect them and ensure that they found their target. Cerrus was just now getting around to moving his gear from the _Normandy_ to the _Lante_. Working on sweeping the Citadel had taken up so much of his time but now was time to prepare for a return to his ship.

He was methodical, like everything he did, first he packed the armor away in crates, then he moved onto his weapons; he cleared his weapons and stored them safely with the armor, next were the modification and demolitions he brought along, and then went to his personal items. Or _a_ personal item in his case, he only brought one thing from the _Lante_. He looked at the picture and he wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there until voice caught his attention.

"Hey," Tali greeted, it was more like announcing her presence than anything else. Cerrus was career military…not someone you just snuck up on.

He snapped from his trance and looked down at the little Quarian that had appeared by him. "Hey," he replied in kind as he resumed packing up the clothes and personal items. "what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." She replied quietly and picked up the picture from open bag he was packing everything into. "She was really pretty, Tyr."

Cerrus felt the uncomfortableness and then swallowed. "Yeah she was." He said finally trying to work through how he felt. Tali returned the picture to the bag, folded her arms across her chest, and leaned on Shepard's locker.

Tali felt a little nervous, Cerrus made her happy but now that he was leaving she wasn't sure how it would impact them. "So…" she began nervously then found a bout of courage. "what is next for us?" she asked bluntly and Cerrus looked back down at her.

"What?"

"Well, you're going back to the _Lante_ and as soon as Shepard is done investigating a lead for me, I'll be back on my pilgrimage."

"What lead?" he asked as he closed the locker.

"I found something on the Geth when I was searching through the data nodes, I asked Shepard to help me look into it and she said she would."

"Going after the Geth, Tali, that's dangerous?" he commented but all Tali did was scoff.

"So was chasing after Saren." She replied and Cerrus couldn't argue with her there.

There was a moment of silence before Cerrus circled back to her initial question. "Tali, just because I'm moving from the _Normandy_ to the _Lante_ doesn't mean I'm not going to be interested in you anymore. I'll always be interested, and if you ever need me…for anything at all…you call me."

Tali blushed under her suit and felt her stomach flutter. Cerrus was sweet under all that pain and anger and she was happy to have him. "You mean that?"

Cerrus put his right hand on her cheek. "Of course I mean it, Tali…I'm not like Nov or most others, I don't love them and leave them." Tali's smile could be heard, he didn't need to see it and he smiled too.

"You want to help me take this over?" he asked after a long moment and Tali nodded happily.

On the way out they saw Sidda, Cerrus merely brushed off her presence but Tali was happy to see her. "Shepard," she began happily. It was good to see her up and walking around. Everyone had been so worried about her but she was now on her feet and seemed none the worse for wear. "it's good to see you up."

Sidda smiled. "Thanks, Tali." She said and nodded to Cerrus. "Cerrus."

"Commander." He replied plainly.

Sidda noticed his gear packed away and snorted, as much a pain in the ass as he was she was sorry to see him go. Cerrus was effective; he was extremely effective, despite his more disagreeable aspects. "Sure you don't want to stick around, Captain?"

Cerrus harrumphed, not even maybe, being around Tali was one thing…being stuck on a ship with this many humans was something else. "Pass." He said and started moving from her.

Sidda was compelled to stop him and spoke up. "Cerrus," Sidda began and the Turian stopped. "I know you didn't have a choice in this assignment, but I'm glad you were there for it. Thank you."

Cerrus wasn't going to pretend he liked the assignment, he met Kaidan who'd turned out to be a very good friend and then there was Tali…Tali was different. "Next time take Nov." he said straightening his posture, a tick that she'd noticed when he was uncomfortable. "You'll have more fun."

Sidda chuckled. "Nonsense…you're a barrel of laughs."

Cerrus chuckled slightly. Sidda was as annoying to him as they came, always managed to get into trouble and drag them all along, with Sidda, the easiest mission could go awry in the blink of an eye. "Only compared to you."

Sidda laughed. "Oh, he cracks a joke." She chuckled as Cerrus started walking again.

* * *

The Citadel was still heavily damaged in some areas but life on the station was slowly returning to normal. The _Normandy _and the _Lante _were both docked for repairs and everyone had been called to meet up in the VIP section of the Nightshade Bar in the section of the Zakera Ward that wasn't damaged. It was a large room with a big table, lots of chairs, and couches. It honestly looked like it was a conference room; Garrus helpfully informed them that a lot of illegal insider trading went on in rooms like this and a lot of legal conferences too.

It was the first time Sidda had seen Kalvaris and by all accounts he was the one that found her under all that rubble. Now, she took the time to thank the barefaced Turian by giving him a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. Nov she'd seen already, he visited her in the hospital, but he seemed to be keeping his distance…less familiar with her it seemed.

Drinks were ordered and the servers kept them coming, no one was quite sure who was paying for all this but they were told that the tab was covered so they drank. They shared stories and laughed…it was good to see them all unwind.

Kaidan was a subtle flirt and was once again flirting with one of the Asari servers; Nov was flirting too with all the female servers, Asari and Human. Cerrus sat quietly across the table from Sidda and Victus with Tali and enjoyed his drinks ignoring Kaidan's flirting going on to his left. Liara was a little more relaxed and seemed to have struck up a friendship…maybe more…with the big Turian Ruvvak. Sidda's eyes narrowed, they would have made an interesting pair, she liked Ruvvak, he was a good man who enjoy blowing things up. The two Turian females, Desala and Rajin bracketed Garrus and the cop was flustered when Desala leveled flirts toward him. Rajin didn't flirt with him, Sidda was surprised to see her even, and still she hadn't said anything to Sidda. The Medic still blamed her for Nihlus' death, as she should since Sidda still blamed herself. Kalvaris and Masso, long time buddies and squad mates, sat together with their feet propped up tossing jabs across the table at anyone that perked their interest. Mostly to Wrex, the big Krogan just laughed, and Cerrus, teasing him about his newfound relationship with Tali. Cerrus promised to kill them later.

Sidda was sandwiched between two Turians, Maridus to her right and Victus to her left. Maridus was being a poor wingman to Garrus as it seemed the Desala was interesting in testing her limits with Garrus only flustering him more. Victus wasn't helping, the General may have been the boss but there was a reason why his troops loved him. He could be one of them in moment's notice, drink, fight, and crack jokes. He was still the boss but he was one of them.

"Shepard, you broke a Mako…a _Mako…_how does someone do that?" Joker laughed, the fact Sidda did what most crash test designers couldn't do was feat. Not an altogether proud one either. She simply shrugged and sipped her beer.

"Crash it through a Relay, apparently." Garrus replied, dryly. He had firsthand knowledge what it was like when the safety features broke as the tank nosedived into the Presidium. "You know when I signed on to help catch Saren, crashing a Mako onto the Citadel through a mini Mass Relay was not in the brochure."

"But those things are supposed to be indestructible. _Indestructible_." Joker went on; of all the things that had taken place trying to get a wrecked Mako out of the Presidium was one for the highlight reel.

"That's what happens when you let Shepard drive." Kaidan quipped and the _Normandy _members all looked at him trying to stifle laughs.

"Says the person who got the Mako so stuck it took the _Normandy_ to get it unstuck?" Joker laughed as Kaidan turned three shades of pink and tried to hide behind his drink.

"Yes, Flight Lieutenant, I got it stuck but she destroyed it." He hissed with no heat in return.

"Hey, no rank, Kaidan." Sidda reminded, they'd agreed to leave the rank at the door this evening, they all needed a break and unwind.

Servers came by and replenished the drinks and Nov rose to his feet attracting the attention in the room. "I'd like to take this moment to recognize the illustrious Commander," Nov began and Sidda groaned nothing good could come from this. "who never fails to rope us all into something extremely shitty."

" 'Us all'? Cal, you weren't even there for half of it." Cerrus commented with a snorted as he swirled the glass in his had making the blue liquid move like a world pool.

Nov held up and finger with an embellished movement. "Which brings me to my next gripe," He continued, "I, the king of tech and the Commander's undisputed favorite," there was a pause as Victus made a face, harmless mostly but the General still felt Nov's familiarity with Sidda was unsettling. "well…slightly undisputed, gets sidelined and she takes her definitely undisputed least favorite. What gives?"

Sidda chuckled, taking Nov certainly would have eliminated half her headaches but Cerrus was the one she needed despite his daily bitter scowl. "I needed fearless tactician, Cal, that ain't you."

Nov put his right hand over his heart and feigned an insult. "That hurts, Sid." He replied, his sincerity was practiced and dead on.

Cerrus scoffed, he would have paid Nov to go in his place. "So you picked me against my will?" Cerrus asked and Sidda smirked.

"Worked out for you in the end." She teased; the Turian either blushed from embarrassment or rage. She couldn't tell which but Tali only giggled to the bantering.

Kaidan's snort drew some attention, his idea of how this mission would play out was similar to Garrus', 'not in the brochure'. "Yeah because those of us who were obligated by uniform to follow her lead had a picnic." Kaidan muttered, in all his time in the military he'd never been put into that much peril that often…the Commander certainly wasn't dull.

Nov laughed and Sidda gave him a mock glare. "There goes your promotion, Lieutenant."

Victus chuckled deeply. "Rank, Sidda." He reminded.

"Come on, Shepard, I got shot…twice." He replied and Cerrus, next to him, scoffed.

Cerrus was used to the daily peril and being shot. "So did I…and burned, smashed by a Krogan, and tossed around in a Mako that careened through a Mass Relay." He snorted. To that last part, he paused, that sounded crazy and no one but this crowd would ever believe it if he told them.

Sidda grinned tipping her glass to her rival. "And you took it like a trooper, Captain." That wasn't her using rank; she called him either Cerrus or Captain. That was it.

"I got shot too…" Garrus chimed in as Cerrus scoffed. "don't see me complaining."

Most would think that two Turians on a human vessel would gravitate toward each other…not in this case; they couldn't be more different. Sure, they figured out how to work with each other but Garrus was of the firm opinion that Cerrus was an ass. "That wouldn't have happened if you'd had better armor than that C-Sec crap."

Garrus didn't like to admit that the Captain was right but in this case he was. The heavy armor Cerrus lent him was easily ten times better than his C-Sec armor, it also reminded him to put in the requisition for heavy armor of the same type.

As amusing as this was to listen to, the topic had strayed from Nov and he corrected that. "And I survived, along with the rest of you, being dropped into an asteroid field, in a Mako onto the remains of an urban legend planet…thank you, Sidda, for the memories."

Sidda laughed as she finished another beer. "And you wanted to come along for the full ride." Nov shrugged, he wouldn't have cared what they did.

Wrex had so far been unimpressed with the drinks; Ryncol was had to come by so they brought him the strongest stuff they could find. He was on his second bottle of a Human drink called Absinthe. Sidda's stomach turned, she'd only had that once and would never try it again. Wrex seemed to love it. "You couldn't have handled it all, Buttercup…still want to sit on my lap?" Wrex chimed in.

Nov paused and looked at the big Krogan with a cocked head as those who had been in the Mako that day just laughed. "Really, Wrex…you like me that much?"

"Well that just got awkward." Masso commented. "What the hell happened on that ship?"

Kalvaris took his feet off the table and snorted. "Something tells me I don't want to know." He muttered to him but loud enough the table heard. "Don't think Shepard's appalling bad luck is restricted to you guys…we had her first and in all my years on the _Lante_ I've never seen that much crazy."

Sidda's brow furrowed. "Come on, Rik, it wasn't that bad." She said as her drink was replaced.

Victus disagreed; Sidda did attract interesting missions that much he knew. "He's not wrong, Sid." Victus commented ignoring her amusing look of betrayal.

"There was the Batarian slaver-…" Kalvaris began but was abruptly cut off by Cerrus of all people.

"Run of the mill. Doesn't count." He said plainly. He was right; slavers were the most common assignments they received.

Kalvaris scowled to his, once again, commanding officer. "That was the first time she threatened to shoot you too." He said to Cerrus and Sidda snorted.

"Not nearly the last." Sidda muttered. Victus elbowed her, as much as Cerrus antagonized her she returned it in kind. Cerrus and Sidda simply glared at each other across the table.

"Then there was her and the Major sliding down a platform on a recently stable planet until they got there, then the science station…" Kalvaris paused to the glare from Victus. "that will remain classified…the Alliance team that lead to a catastrophic blow out between these two." He said gesturing to Cerrus and Sidda, to this day he'd never seen a fight more brutal than that one.

"And Oriso." Rajin commented quietly as she was beginning to enjoy herself a bit more.

Cerrus squirmed. Oriso was a mission he rather just forget. "I thought we agreed to never talk about that again." He said with a bit of growl in his voice.

Sidda also squirmed, she didn't remember what happened but the blanks had been filled in. The thought of coming on to Cerrus and Nov was as unsettling as it came. "Agreed."

Joker gave Kaidan a look and cackled, they both thought the same thing. "Oh you can't stop there." Joker chuckled.

"Oh yes we can." Cerrus replied sharply as Sidda whole heartedly agreed.

"Some stories will never be told, Joker." Sidda said and Nov remained silent as he was replaying that moment, however brief it was, in his mind. Like it or not for the rest of them, that was one of his fondest memories.

"The fuel station." Ruvvak went on.

Maridus groaned that one he hated…he didn't like disagreeing with Victus and that one was big one. "Oh, Spirits, don't remind me of that." Maridus muttered.

"Then there was the mission to rescue Nihlus." Kalvaris said. Getting Nihlus off of Ihm'shal was one of the most elaborate stunts they'd pulled. The only one injured was Nov, shot by a sniper that shattered his shoulder.

At the mention of Nihlus' name the room fell silent. There fallen comrade…murdered by his mentor.

"At least you avenged him, Commander."

"Don't forget my first actual mission with her." Maridus added, he never would he had a headache for a week after what they did to him. "Nearly got Nihlus and I killed but he talked about it for weeks…never been so damn irritated with the way a mission played out."

"To Nihlus Kryik." Maridus said raising his glass, the mood now solemn. Rajin looked at him but she wasn't angry, more like grateful for the salute to her mate and raised her own glass.

"And Chief Williams." Cerrus added, the _Normandy_ crew did a double take. Cerrus hated Ashley but here he was honoring her. The _Lante _crew knew better, they knew the story and how much Cerrus hated losing people and weren't surprised by his words.

* * *

The ass chewing on _Arcturus_ didn't disappoint, the brass was pissed that she and Anderson actually _stole_ a warship from the locked down Citadel docks. Of course they had been correct and did the right thing by pursuing the leads so that had gone a long way in keeping them both out of the brig. Anderson had apparently also assaulted Udina in the course of his role to steal the ship and was fairly bitter that he'd been passed over as Councilor for Anderson on Sidda's suggestion. Hackett had actually convinced the brass to let Sidda retain full command of the _Normandy_ and continue as her role of Spectre and making sure the Geth in the Traverse stayed under control. It was a lot of smooth talking and Hackett turned out to be a tremendous ally, the legendary officer vouched for her and she walked away with a slap on the wrists. Now she was assigned to sniff out Geth in the Armstrong Nebula with Tali.

"Admiral," she called jogging to catch up to him. He paused long enough for her to pace him and kept walking. "I wanted to thank you for your support, Sir."

Hackett gave her a slight nod as he kept walking. "You were right, Commander, no matter what anyone thought. You save a lot of lives, figured going to bat for you was the least I could do." Sidda paused for a second, she thought Anderson was her best ally, but Hackett was proving to be even better. "Just don't steal any more ships, Commander, and for the love of god…while you're out there hunting Geth remember that you are still in the Alliance, no more going off book."

Sidda nodded as she kept pace with him, sticking to the Alliance playbook was never really her strong suit. "Yes, Sir, and I wanted to also thank you for helping Adrien…Gen. Victus."

Hackett responded with a single nod. "The General was an honorable ally, Commander, he and his crew fought bravely, they saved an Alliance ship which in turned sacrificed themselves to same them." He explained and then changed the subject. "Find out what's going on the Armstrong Nebula, Commander, and do it quickly."

Sidda saluted him. "Yes, sir." She said and the Admiral left. All things considered, she was lucky to leave _Arcturus_ without a trip to the brig or a demotion; she got to keep her ship and crew and received an assignment. Tali had presented her findings about the Geth to Hackett and he agreed they needed to investigate. So, now she was bound with ship and crew, minus Liara, Cerrus, and Wrex for the Armstrong Nebula in the Skyllian Verge.


	17. Chapter 17: Gone Away

_**Note: Alright, here it is. The last chapter of this part. This one has been waiting to be posted for a while now. One of those write the end first and the do the rest. I do hope ya'll enjoy this, it**** is nearly all original and has a ton of Nov, Cerrus, and Victus. Don't worry, part three is around the corner and will be posted in its own story as this one. **_

_**There is a special soundtrack for this chapter that I listened to while writing this and so character specific songs. **_

_**Gone Away by The Offspring (Victus and Nov)  
Torn to Pieces by Pop Evil (for Nov)  
Hemorrhage by Fuel (also for Nov)  
Goodbye to You by Michelle Branch (Victus)**_

_**Please enjoy Chapter Seventeen: Gone Away**_

**Mass Effect**  
"Foreign Relations"

**Chapter Seventeen: Gone Away**

The _Normandy _was out investigating the Omega Nebula, the Geth seemed to still be a problem as ships were mysteriously disappearing. After a while, the Council got curious enough and sent their most famous Spectre to investigate. Half the crew thought it was bullshit but Sidda did her job as ordered, if the Geth were a continued problem it was best that they knew about it ahead of time before it became a lot worse.

Kaidan had spent half the morning in the Medical Bay nursing an implant migraine and now carefully emerged to report for duty. He looked better than he had a few hours ago but it was obvious to her now how he looked on a normal day as opposed to one like today. The dark circles around his eyes, pale skin, and generally poor body language made her cringe.

"Hey, Kaidan how's the head?" Sidda asked passing him on her way to her quarters.

The sentinel offered her a smile. "A little better, Commander," he replied tiredly.

Sidda shook her head in sympathy; L2s had it rough, rougher than any other biotic but Kaidan was one of the lucky ones, most died or suffered severe cognitive damage. "You should get that thing upgraded, Kaidan," she advised. "L3s are much safer."

Kadain scoffed, she was right about that but there was one rub. "But the procedure might kill me…I'll stick with the L2 and the occasional debilitating headache."

"Are you good for duty?" she asked him and Kaidan straightened nodding. She gave him credit where it was due, the man was tough; he'd been shot with a huge rifle on Virmire and was on his feet ready to go for the next mission.

"Yeah…I'm fine, get some coffee in me and I'll be fine," he replied as she patted his shoulder.

Sidda nodded briefly, she trusted him to do his job and so far had been a major asset. "We're in the Omega Nebula…all quiet so far. Anything goes sideways let me know."

* * *

Sidda sat relaxed on her bunk reading a letter from Victus; he'd been recalled to Palaven, again, to answer for his part in the pursuit of Saren. Sidda hadn't seen him in week but he managed to send a letter, he assured her that he wasn't getting court martialed so she figured it was an assignment. She held the datapad in her left hand and futzed with the Turian pendant on her dog tags with her right. After she'd read his letter twice she decided to respond back to her mother's rather colorful response to the knowledge that her daughter was in a serious relationship with the Turian. Despite the shock of it all her mother was actually looking forward to meeting him…her father…well that might take a bit longer.

The impact was hard enough to launch Sidda from the bed and into the shelf. She yelped as her forehead hit the shelf with enough force to draw blood. That was a weapon impact. Sidda scrambled to her feet as the ship rocked again. On the crew deck there was smoke, a fire was burning somewhere and she could see at last one crewmember down. She paused a moment to check for a pulse, the young woman was dead. Her ship was clearly under attack as it rocked again from another impact.

"Pressley, Joker, what the hell's going on?" she demanded as she reached her locker and proved that she could get into her armor in under a minute.

"_Pressley's dead, Commander, we're under attack. Unknown enemy."_ Joker answered, the pilot was stressed but still under control.

Sidda reached the emergency console at the back of the crew deck and tapped the screen. It was and auxiliary damage control console and she got a view of damage her ship had sustained, it was incredible. Multiple hull breeches and the core was damaged. She didn't think, training kicked in and before she knew it there was an emergency distress beacon ready for launch.

"Commander!" she heard Kaidan call from behind her.

"Emergency distress beacon's away," she told him, her tone calm and collected as she pressed the ship wide comm. "All hands abandon ship. I repeat: all hands abandon ship."

"The Alliance won't get here in time, we're too far out," Kaidan said and Sidda would have to agree, if the Alliance didn't find them someone would.

"We don't have a choice," she said and grabbed a fire extinguisher; there was no way one fire extinguisher would save the ship but it would help clear the path to the escape pods. "Get everyone onto the escape pods."

"Joker won't abandon ship and I'm not leaving either."

Sidda grumbled. Of course Joker wouldn't leave his baby, well…she was gonna make him. "Lieutenant, now," her voice was firmer and her trusted medic obeyed. "I'll get Joker."

* * *

Traveling through her ship was like moving through hell, the frigate had sustained substantial damage and the loss of atmosphere in the CIC slowed her down. She felt a wave of nausea hit when she looked up above the galaxy map, the ceiling was missing, completely ripped away by whatever weapon hit it. There was so much debris flying around it nearly obscured the stars. Sidda returned her focus to getting to Joker, there was an escape pod in the cockpit so all she had to do was get him and they could both be gone in a few steps.

"Joker!" she barked a little perturbed that she had to come and get him when the warship was falling apart. "What the hell are you doing, I told you to abandon ship?"

"No, I'm not leaving. I can still save her." The pilot was attached to his ship just like any pilot would have been. The _Normandy_ was a great vessel and played a major role in saving the galaxy, to lose her wasn't fair.

"The _Normandy's _lost, Lieutenant, let's go. Now!" It was an order and Joker obeyed, he didn't want to but he obeyed. They needed to leave, now, because the unknown cruiser was coming around to finish them off.

Sidda didn't need sensors or LADAR to find it; she could _see_ the great ship with the naked eye. It fired and a yellow beam hit what was left of the _Normandy's _dorsal destroying what was left of the Operations stations between the CIC and the cockpit. Joker cried out in pain as Sidda roughly shoved him into the waiting escape pod. Something on the ship exploded and Sidda staggered, she couldn't get the mag boots to engage but where the impact threw her probably saved her life as another yellow beam hit where she had been standing.

She couldn't get to the pod in time and made the decision. An explosion followed the beam but she made sure she hit the button for the pod to launch. The cockpit exploded and the force blasted her back into space. Sidda nearly lost consciousness when her head and shoulders hit something, a bulkhead from her once great ship. She watched in horror as the _SSV Normandy_ died a traumatic death, the frigate exploded and the force blew her from it into the debris field that had been swirling around it.

There was a brief moment when Sidda counted her lucky stars that she wasn't killed in the blast, just pushed away from it. If she was _really_ lucky she might survive long enough for someone to pick her up. The suit blared a warning, there was a suit rupture.

As she fought to find it and save her own life she became painfully aware of an injury to the left shoulder, she could barely raise that arm in hurt so bad. It was a futile struggle as the suit's warning became more and more dire. Oxygen levels dropped and dropped as she couldn't reach the rupture and her world faded to black…this was how she died.

* * *

Garrus' shuttle approached the _PFS Lante_, after what had just happened he knew the Alliance hadn't told Victus about what had happened to Sidda. He wasn't sure exactly how he was going to tell him and the rest of the crew. Sidda was like family to them, which was a triumph for a human.

Once onboard, Maridus stood at the edge of the Docking Bay waiting for him to arrive. When he heard Garrus was coming he decided to greet him personally.

"Garrus," Maridus greeted extending his hand to his friend, the two had known each other since childhood and it was great to see him again. "Welcome aboard, brother."

Garrus shook his hand, had to admit he was happy to see Damar again. "Thank you," he said but the situation at hand was weighing on his mind. "I need to speak to Victus," he said and his tone made Maridus cock his head.

"What happened?" he asked guessing something was very wrong, he had a knack for these things and was right 90% of the time.

Garrus didn't want to admit this by saying it out loud but he had to. "Sidda's dead."

Maridus felt like he'd been slapped in the face though he kept most of his shock under wraps but Garrus could see it in his eyes. He cleared his throat and pushed his emotions down. "This way," he said quietly and headed up to Victus.

The walk was silent, Maridus didn't ask questions, he wanted to but it wasn't his place yet. Victus deserved to know the details first.

Victus was in his quarters reviewing reports when there was a tap on his door. "Enter," he said and looked up seeing Maridus walk in with Garrus of all people. "Major," he regarded and glanced over to Garrus. "Garrus."

"Sir," Maridus began and wanted to find a hole to hide in right now.

Victus looked Maridus up and down, something was wrong. "What's going on?" he asked and stood, his regular posture with his hands behind his back.

Garrus didn't know how to say this, Sidda was his friend and felt that it was his duty to tell Victus what had happened. "Sir…" he began but stammered as the words got stuck in his mouth. "Sir…Sidda is dead," he finally managed. Shock was an understatement; Victus looked at him and blinked several times. "She uhh..." he began but stopped himself. "The _Normandy _was attacked. She was spaced saving Joker."

He felt himself go numb as he listened to him; losing Sidda was a nightmare for him. And losing another person he loved was even worse. He had to keep himself together, if he came apart now it wouldn't help him and it wouldn't bring her back. Maridus saw his reaction and knew his commanding officer to be calm and together about everything, losing Sidda could unglue him but Victus was silent. Both he and Garrus saw Victus' mandibles clench tightly but didn't show a hint of emotion after hearing about this.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Garrus finished and Victus got the impression that she not only meant everything to him but meant enough to Garrus for him to come all this way to tell him in person.

"Is there anything else?" he asked quietly, turning away from them both.

Garrus shook his head and glanced back to Maridus. "No, Sir," he said and Victus said nothing but Maridus knew it was time to leave him alone.

The door closed leaving Victus alone with his new demon to deal with. His jaw was clenched so tight it was starting to hurt and both hands had become solid fists. He was a calm man, he always kept his façade of calm, cool, and collected but it faltered. His temper flared from all the pain welling in him and he cleared the nearest counter top with an angry sweep of his right arm. He roared as the contents clattered and shattered on the floor before standing seething. She couldn't be dead…how could she be dead?

* * *

After delivering the worst news ever to Victus, Garrus and Maridus meandered through the halls and made their way to training room. The news shocked Maridus but there was another on board that was going to feel the same.

"Cal." Maridus call quietly drawing his attention from a hand to hand class he was instructing. He turned and saw the major gesture for him to come over.

"Garrus?" he stated, surprised to see him there. "What are you doing here? Please tell me we don't have to save the galaxy again."

Garrus managed a scoff. "Not yet," he said but his tone made Nov nervous.

"What's going on?" he asked. "You okay, Garrus?"

Maridus sighed. "Cal, Sidda's dead," he blurted, quick so there was less pain.

Nov blinked, trying to process those words. When they registered in his brain he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and took a half step back. Controlling his emotions was key right now. "What?" that was the only thing he could say the shock in his voice was readily apparent.

"The _Normandy_ was attacked by an unknown ship…Sidda was spaced," he paused gauging Nov's reaction. "When the ship exploded…the Alliance never found her body," Nov blinked a few times more and could feel his body going numb starting at his toes and working its way up. The rest of what Garrus had said didn't sink in right away as Nov just turned away from them and walked out.

Maridus and Garrus watched as Nov walked away from them seeming to be stunned beyond belief. Cerrus narrowed his eyes as Nov practically ran him over on the way out. Cerrus looked over his shoulder a little confused by Nov's obvious behavior. His attention returned to Maridus and Garrus and he cocked his head. "What happened?" he asked suspiciously.

Maridus sighed and was already tired of this detail. "Shepard's dead, Tyr."

Cerrus blinked, he was shocked really. He didn't think anything could bump off the human pain in the ass but after all the grief she gave him and the hell the two of them put each other through he felt the loss. "How?"

"The _Normandy_ was attacked," Garrus responded tired of talking about this. "She was spaced."

He may not have liked Sidda per say but he didn't wish her harm and certainly didn't wish her dead. "Spirits," he breathed. "Does the General know?"

Cerrus kicked himself for that question, of course Victus knew. What kind of question was that? "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, Victus knows."

"Garrus, you were on the _Normandy_… what happened?" Cerrus asked and Garrus grumbled having to regale the tale one more time.

* * *

Nov was feeling something new. He'd been angry before, hell he'd been in a rage before but this was far beyond that. He'd had one real relationship in his life but he and Shala ended things on pretty good terms, but Sidda was someone he felt he truly loved. He never told her that directly and now he was going to have to live with that regret. He was walking; to the crew he was more like storming, through the corridor. You didn't have to be a genius to know he was angry and upset. He came to a stop in the Rec Room; it was an open room that had two ways in and out shaped like a cul-de-sac. His fists were balled up so tight his claws were digging into his palms. The anger he was feeling was a mix of rage at those who killed her, the fact he wasn't there, and the fact that he let her slip away from him. He was also exceedingly upset that she was dead and walking out in a fog of shock and rage.

His bubbling mix of extreme emotions bubbled over and he thoroughly exploded. Nov cleared the counter to his left with a swing of his left arm. The enraged Turian spun to the long table where he remembered SIdda recovering from the hangover from Oblivion, with another swing of, this time, his right hand he knocked the various glasses and plates off the table and sent the started crew members scattering. He actually hadn't realized anyone was in there, his blind rage had taken over and he was releasing all that anger and pain on the Rec Room. He grabbed the back of one of the chairs and removed the top half from where it had been bolted to the deck. With a loud yell that sounded like a roar he used the half a chair as his weapon. He proceeded to smash anything he wanted. The canisters on the counter tops were crushed and any light he could find was destroyed. Sometime during the destruction of the Rec Room he threw the chair into the audience he attracted sending them scattering then turned his fists on the glass doors to the cooler. It took a few punches to break the glass but he succeeded not even feeling the deep cuts to his fingers and knuckles from the very sturdy glass. With the cooler now destroyed he managed to rip the long metal handle off of one of the doors and swung it like a bat at the next counter top shattering the trinkets then came to the card table where he and Maridus hustled Sidda at Poker on her birthday. With a flurry of overhead swings he beat on the card table about a dozen times, blood was starting to splatter onto the deck from the wounds on his hands. After putting a considerable dent into the table he went after the most expensive item in the room. He swung the weapon and hit the large flat wall monitor as hard as he could. He remembered Sidda's birthday again, watching the Biotiball game where Sidda and Desala got into a biotic arm wrestling match. Too many memories in this room…too many memories on this whole ship. Sidda had left her mark on the ship, the crew, and him.

His assault on the monitor continued until he did away with the weapon and physically ripped the thing off the wall. It was hanging by a thread any way so he finished the task and threw it as far as he could. The huge monitor crashed to the deck half on the card table and half on the deck sending bits and pieces of it flying across the room like shrapnel.

The audience he had attracted had enough sense not to stop him but also to go get someone. That someone was Maridus and Cerrus. They both blinked at the state of the Rec Room, it looked like a bomb went off. By the time Nov had completed his renovation, every chair was shredded and more than half were broken, the couch was turned inside out, the cooler was busted and leaking the beverages all over the deck, counter tops were cluttered with bits of debris from everything in the room, cabinets were hanging open with their contents spilled on the floor, the card table was covered by half of the monitor and the other half was in pieces on the deck and chairs, traces of blood were seen on the deck throughout the room.

"Fuck," Cerrus exclaimed stunned.

Maridus thought the same thing as he stood next to him and was just as blown away by the damage as Cerrus was. "Spirits!" he breathed.

"Nov, did this?" Cerrus questioned, it was a clarification on the information from a crewmember not really a legitimate question. He'd heard of Nov's bad temper but never witnessed it for himself. He still hadn't, this was the aftermath.

Maridus moved into the warzone and spied Nov sitting on the deck under where the monitor had been. His knees were pulled up close to his chest with his forearms resting on his knees. His hands were shaking and dripping blood onto the deck. "Cal?" Maridus announced but got no response from the Turian. "Captain?" He said again and saw Nov gingerly adjust the position of his trembling right hand.

"Major," Nov replied quietly and Maridus moved toward him cautiously. If Nov had done this to the Rec Room he could only imagine what he could or would do to a person.

"What did you do?" he asked and knelt down next to him looking at the deep cuts.

Nov knew what he did in his blind rage. "I didn't hurt anyone," he replied as Maridus took his left hand gently inspecting the injuries.

"Just yourself," Maridus stated. "These are deep, Cal, let's go see Holum."

Nov sharply jerked his hand away from Maridus. "I don't need to. I'm fine," he growled and Maridus' demeanor went from friendly concern to stern authority.

"That's an order, Captain," he ordered and earned a glare from Nov. He wasn't above fighting him but he had to admit his hands hurt…a lot.

Nov got to his feet refusing help from Maridus and Cerrus and causing his lacerations to bleed more. Maridus looked around the room and shook his head. There had to be at least 40,000 credits worth of damage here.

* * *

Maridus confined Nov to his quarters once Holum patched up his hands, he was laying on his bunk still in shock over the news. He said nothing to Holum in the few hours he spent in medical and said very little to Maridus to explain his actions. He had gingerly sifted through his locker and found the item he wanted. It was an image taken of them during her birthday. It was just a casual picture that Masso had captured during one of the many card games that night. He didn't display it in his quarters because he didn't want to disrespect Victus if he ever ventured to his quarters but he did look at it often. Sidda had become the only female, Turian, Asari, or otherwise that he loved. Shala was a long term relationship and yes he did care for her and liked her a lot but what he felt for Sidda was exponentially different. She was the one person he loved and the one person he let get away. Now he'd lost her forever and that was something he'd never forgive himself for.

He lay on his bunk staring at the picture burning the image of her face into his mind. He didn't want to forget her, he never would and he made a decision right then and there to curse all deities he'd seen or heard about, Asari gods, Hanar gods, Human gods…even the Spirits; he'd never pray to them again because of this.

* * *

The tension on the ship was palpable, too tense, no one spoke to Victus unless they absolutely had to but it wasn't getting any better. Maridus actually called Tarquin told him the news and they'd picked him up in route.

"So what happened to Sidda?" Tarquin asked Maridus.

Maridus sighed heavily. "Spaced," he replied as they walked to the guest quarters. It wasn't unusual for Tarquin to be aboard, he'd train here for a time and then move to his own assignments. Turians didn't care about family serving with family. The consequences for misconduct were severe and often enough of a deterrent for anyone playing favorites. Tarquin looked like his father but his skin was lighter, something he'd inherited from his mother. "Garrus, the Turian that was serving with her, is still on board. The _Normandy_ was destroyed."

Tarquin shook his head; the idea that his father lost another person he cared about almost broke his heart. He'd grown up with his closed off father and had seen a change in him when he met Sidda. Like Any Turian he had a volatile temper, and they were extra volatile when it came to their mates. "Spirits."

"He won't talk about it," Maridus grumbled, burying it was a recipe for disaster but the more Maridus pushed the deeper Victus buried it.

Tarquin wasn't surprised. "And no one can make him and it's best not to press him."

Maridus shook his head. "I disagree…it's going to tear him up until he can't take it anymore that puts us all in danger."

Tarquin stopped and pulled Maridus to a stop as well. "So why am I here?" Tarquin asked his tone more of an irritated growl.

"Because he needs to talk to somebody."

Tarquin scoffed derisively. "He's not going to talk to me, Major," Maridus' long glower made Tarquin huff. "Fine. I'll try."

Tarquin tapped on the door to his father's quarters but heard no answer to enter nor did anyone come to the door, he tapped again but still no answer. Tarquin understood tech and tapped his omni-tool a few times to override the door. It opened to reveal a dark room; his quarters were in order say for scattered items and some broken glass that used to be a mirror.

"Dad," Tarquin announced seeing his father sitting with an unopened bottle of Turian Brandy.

Victus inclined his head to one side acknowledging him but didn't turn around; it was the only time he smiled in days. "You're getting far too good at that, Tarquin," he commented.

Tarquin shrugged and sat down in the chair across from him. "You didn't answer," he replied and paused a moment before saying more. "The crew is worried." Victus poured a glass of the Brandy he'd been working on and Tarquin found another, father and son could break the ice with a drink. Victus poured a glass for his son.

Victus shrugged as if waving him off. "They have Maridus, they'll be fine."

Tarquin bit back a grumble, he was stubborn…very stubborn. "Dad…they need you. Not the Major, you."

Victus sipped the Brandy. "Son, leave me alone. I don't want to talk."

Tarquin stopped his pushing, it wasn't going to help and he could see his father was hurting. "I'm sorry I never got to know her better," he said quietly after a long silence.

Victus took another drink; there were so many things he regretted when it came to Sidda. The first was he never took her as his mate and the second was he didn't get to spend near enough time with her. "I should have married her," he said out of the blue after an even longer silence.

Tarquin said nothing since his father voluntarily offered that up and raised his glass toward him. "To, Sidda."

"May her Spirit watch over_ Lante_," Victus added.

"And us all," Tarquin put in eying his father trying to judge his mental state. Maridus was right; his father was a time bomb just waiting for the right match.

* * *

Maridus could tell that if Victus didn't talk about Sidda he was going to implode at the most inopportune time. For almost a week he was silent and kept to himself more than he usually did, the entire crew had heard what had happened and tried their best to stay out of his crosshairs, as a result Maridus saw an uptick in people passing him rosters, reports, questions…more than usual. He brought Tarquin aboard, an act that got him all but reamed by Victus later but deep down Victus understood why he did it.

Victus found a little solace in the training room; this is where he and Sidda spent a lot of time together so it was a bittersweet place for him to be. Nov was present on the other side of room but then again he was always in the training room. Nov was one of the first Turians on board that grew to respect her, enough to relinquish his command of Argo Unit to her for a year. He was also one of the few on board that felt it best to leave Victus alone, to let him work out the loss by himself.

Maridus didn't share Nov's opinion or Tarquin's for that matter, he knew Victus well enough to know that Sidda's death was going to bring back the old pain of Miral and cause the General to falter when they would need him the most. He walked into the Training Room and acknowledged Nov but turned his attention to Victus. "General, you need to talk about this," Maridus said approaching him.

Victus was growing annoyed with Maridus pushing him, he was right but he didn't want to talk about anything. "For the last time, Major, I don't want to talk about anything."

"You have to!" Maridus snapped in a raised tone causing Victus to look over at him sharply. Did he lose his mind? No one talked to him that way; he was a highly respected General and the last person you wanted to fuck with, especially regarding a personal matter.

"I don't!" he snarled back making Nov look up and pay attention to the situation brewing. "She was a soldier. Soldiers die," he growled at him and that offended and pissed off Maridus.

"You don't believe that!" he boomed. "Sidda was more than just a soldier to everyone on this ship. She was my friend and I know how much you loved her so don't stand there and tell me that she meant more to me than she did to you." He knew he was taking his life into his own hands by saying this to his face but he wanted to provoke a response, to get him to work it out. Victus' blood boiled at that comment. "If you really loved her you wouldn't be able to just turn it off. You didn't love her…you wouldn't even marry her."

Victus finally snapped and swiftly advanced on him with a hard punch to the face. The force of his hit staggered him back but he caught himself to set up for another hit. He succeeded in provoking a response from Victus. He succeeded all too well.

Nov stood keeping an eye on this inevitable explosion taking place. Victus was the superior fighter onboard and he was the second rated. Maridus was not known for his hand to hand skills and he was the target for a highly distraught and pissed off man. "Tarquin, it's Callus, you need to come to the training room and bring Vakarian with you. Double time it," he said into his Omni-Tool, the tone of his voice reflected the worry and severity of the situation. "This is gonna get out of hand fast."

Victus was in a rage, one week of the worst bottled up pain imaginable was now boiling over. This wasn't a controlled fight, Victus was angry and hurt and he was going to hurt someone in this case, Maridus. Maridus kept up for a time but a combination hit from Victus knocked him onto his back, this would have been the time to stop but Victus wasn't following any rules. He stepped over him and put his left knee down grabbing Maridus' tunic with his left hand and continued pummeling him with his right fist.

"General!" Nov yelled running toward him and grabbing his right arm to stop him from his attack. Victus elbowed Nov hard in the mouth and shoved him off hitting Maridus again.

Victus kept hitting Maridus with savage hits, bones were cracking but he didn't care. As Nov reached him Tarquin and Garrus scrambled around the corridor and into the room, they could hear Nov yelling from the hall. "Dad!" Tarquin yelled rushing toward him.

Nov regained his feet and they all reached Victus at the same time. "General! Stop! You're going to kill him!" Nov yelled as he tried again to catch his arm. Tarquin grabbed his other arm from behind and put his right arm around his father's chest using his weight to pull him back.

"Stop!" Tarquin barked as Victus shoved Nov off his right arm but found it challenging to get away from his son. "Stop!"

There was a pause as Victus realized exactly what he had just done. Maridus was a bloody mess and unconscious, his left mandible was obviously broken as blood was coming from his nose and mouth. The anger passed and turned to overwhelming emotional sadness. He collapsed back into Tarquin and it hit him. She was gone. Sidda was dead, he'd lost another one.

Tarquin held his father as he came down from his intense rage; Victus was still angry and would love to kill someone but Tarquin kept him restrained. The weight of Sidda's death hit him and he let out an agonizing, emotional scream.

Everyone in the room could feel the pain radiating off him, they all missed her, and she meant a lot to each of them for different reasons but none of them could imagine Victus' pain.

Garrus was more intent on the bloody mess that was Maridus. "Damar? Damar, can you hear me?" he asked surveying his injuries. "Captain, he needs to get to medical now."

Nov turned away from them and keyed his omni-tool calling Holum to the training room.

* * *

In Medical, Maridus was considered to be severely wounded. Garrus hadn't really left the bay and that was bugging the hell out of Dr. Holum. He was doing everything he could for Maridus but the reconstruction was extensive. Victus had shattered his left mandible and broken his jaw, for a Turian the jaw would heal but the mandible was the hard part.

"Holum." Victus greeted entering the medical bay quietly catching sight of Garrus at the last bed containing his friend.

"General." Holum said coldly. "Come to see your handy work?" he hissed and earned a glare from Victus.

"Careful, Doctor," he growled back. "How is he?"

Holum glowered at his commanding officer. "Well, aside from his broken jaw and shattered mandible he should be fine." He said in a very pointed statement. "Disfigured, but fine."

Victus owned that, he knew what he did and was nowhere near proud of it. "Get on with it, Doctor, what do you need?" he hissed at him. He knew what he'd done and accepted it.

"Palaven. Thessia, Citadel, even Earth…somewhere that I can put him back together."

Victus nodded slightly and looked over at Maridus but kept the rooms length in distance. "Which is best?" he asked. He'd go anywhere to fix his friend, his condition was his fault and he aimed to correct that.

"The Citadel," he answered quickly. "A multitude of medical personnel, he may need synthetics or biometrics."

Victus nodded and turned to walk away, the fact that he didn't even bother to see Maridus angered Garrus. "General," Garrus barked in a raised tone, not yelling at him but just enough to get his attention. Victus paused and looked back at him but waited for Garrus to approach him.

"Yes?" he asked with a sigh.

"You almost kill him and you don't even want to see him?" he growled.

Victus heaved a sigh and showed he was growing annoyed. Maridus was his friend and he was concerned for his well-being especially since his condition was his fault, but he simply couldn't face what he had done. "Vakarian, you're trying my patience," he said but realized that wasn't the right thing to say. "I understand your anger. He is my friend as well," he said but his tone dropped to shame. "But I can't face him right now."Garrus could understand why Victus didn't want to see him but he looked at Maridus like a brother and to see him hurt like that made him angry. "You're onboard as a courtesy, I thank you for watching over Sidda and for coming in person to tell me what happened, but don't ever talk to me like that again," he warned and walked away from him.

* * *

Since news of Sidda's death the ship's command structure had damn near collapsed. Victus blew up at Maridus and rendered him unconscious with severe injuries, Nov destroyed the Rec Room and no one on the ship who knew and respected Sidda wanted to talk about a damn thing. After what had happed to Maridus, Victus' confidence in his leadership was shaken so when they reached the Citadel he relieved himself of command placing Cerrus in command of the ship. Cerrus didn't want the job and nearly gave it Ruvio as soon as he got it but he assumed the mantle anyway.

The events in the Training Room had spread all over the ship, everyone knew that Victus lost control, maybe even his mind, and put Maridus in Medical. The crew walked on eggshells around him so when they reached The Citadel his last order to Cerrus was to give the crew shore leave.

Citadel Hospital was the best hospital on the Citadel and Maridus was rushed there to begin what would probably be a very long recovery. That hospital was the best choice because of its access to cross species techniques and physicians, by the time they got there the Turian Ward had sent an army of doctors and there were specialists on hand after the overview had been received from Holum.

Victus entered the surgical wing of the hospital slowly; he wanted an update but still could not face his friend he nearly beat to death. He didn't want to be in this hospital anyway, the next wing over was recovery, the place where he'd waited for Sidda to wake up after Sovereign literally fell on her.

"Victus!" a female Turian voice called sharply and he looked in the direction of it. He saw an average height Turian female with the same Palaven blue face paint that Maridus and Garrus had. He knew exactly who it was and was really not looking forward to seeing or speaking with her.

"Solana-…" he started but was cut off by a hard punch across the face from her.

She hit him good making him take a forced step back grunting at the pain in his jaw now. "You, Bastard!" she snarled and was going to hit him again but he caught her wrist to stop her. "You almost killed him!" she yelled trying to get her arm free from his grip. Solana was a feisty one and struggled against him hitting him with her other hand until he caught them both. "He idolizes you! Look what you did to him!"

"Solana, stop!" he barked now controlling both her hands and understanding her pain. "Stop!" Solana stopped fighting against him and he pulled her into a hug. His shame deepened seeing her; he deserved everything she gave him and whatever hate she bore toward him. "I am so sorry," he said. "I never meant to hurt him."

Solana wasn't going to let him get away with that and pushed away from him. "You almost beat him to death," she snapped. "What did you expect?"

Victus dropped his head not afraid to reveal his guilt to her. "I didn't mean to," he said but those words didn't offer any explanation for her and she shoved him backward.

"Then why did you do it?" she snapped again.

"I lost someone," he said and continued to glare at him. "Someone I cared-…" he stopped abruptly and refused to meet her eyes. "Someone I loved, very much."

"So you took it out on Damar?" she questioned with a cold, damning tone.

"He tried to help me and I lost control," he confessed and she eyed him with a hostile glare before walking away from him without another word.

* * *

Cerrus didn't bother to leave the ship; he had things to take care of. Namely holding the crew together, mostly it was a few members that needed to be tended to. Nov was his biggest concern. He destroyed one entire room, while Victus damn near killed Maridus in a blind rage he had expected something like that from him. Nov's reaction was a little more of mystery, he knew he respected her and had feelings for her but hadn't thought for a moment that news of her death would have garnered a reaction like that. Now Nov stood before him, his expression seemed empty and cold…he'd seen it before…in the mirror. Cerrus was scared to death to use Victus' office so he used the War Room.

"Callus, with Maridus in the hospital and Victus relieved of command I have to hand down the punishment for the damage to the Rec Room and military property," he said quietly as Nov stood silent. He'd barely said six words that weren't related to intervening with Maridus and Victus' fight. "I'm going to go with Administrative Punishment, Captain," he continued. "The damage cost is 32,481 credits that will come out of your pay for as long as it takes to pay off and you'll be restricted to your quarters when you're not on duty," he finished maintaining a professional and slightly gentle tone and Nov remained silent. "Dismissed." As he said that he found that he wanted to ask the question. Why? Nov had turned to leave but Cerrus spoke up. "Cal, just one question." Nov paused and turned around to face him. "Why did you do that?"

Nov's entire body had felt numb since redecorating the Rec Room, it hadn't changed. His personality had numbed as well. There was only one answer to his question and he didn't care who knew now. "I loved her," he answered quietly.

Cerrus could understand losing control because of the death of a loved one. He who got his whole team killed because of Anara's death. He believed Nov when he said it, it was plain and truthful that was abundantly clear. "Sentence will begin tomorrow morning, go to the Citadel…take some time, but I want you back at 0700 to report for duty…you miss it I'll throw your ass in the brig. Am I clear?"

Nov already respected Cerrus, he may not have agreed with his views on Humans but he was an upstanding guy when it came right down to it. He was smart enough to realize when someone was on the verge of going over the edge. "Yes, Sir," he said respectfully and left the War Room.

* * *

Chora's Den survived the attack but C-Sec took the opportunity to clean house, the investigation into Fist and his goons shed some uncomfortable light on the seedy goings on.

Nov surveyed the area; the military side of him assessed the Krogan bouncers, he really wanted to pick a fight but a Krogan wasn't really what he wanted to dance with. He wanted a drink and he wanted to pick a fight but he'd settle for a drink first.

The Asari bartender was pretty, the violet purple was the tone Nov liked the most but this time he wasn't really interested. "What'll it be, handsome?" she flirted and Nov blushed.

"Bottle of something…" he answered with a slight smile. "I don't care what it is and open a tab."

Nov was a magnet to the Asari just as they were a magnet for him. She flashed a flirty smile to him and leaned toward him. "What's the name? Or should I just call you 'Handsome'?"

He blushed and cleared his throat. "Cal's fine."

"Mel," she replied and Nov spotted a curious sight over her should across the bar. Nov's expression narrowed. Victus. Victus was in Chora's Den sitting at a table alone…that was something you didn't see every day.

He put his credit chit on the bar and then a few more. "For you," he winked back then gestured to Victus behind her. "And a bottle of whatever he's having."

Mel giggled and nodded with a smile. "You got it, Handsome."

Nov wasn't in the mood for a woman at the moment, his emotions were too out of whack but the flattery was nice. He collected the bottle of Brandy, that was apparently what Victus was drinking and quietly joined his fellow Turian. Victus said nothing at his presence and still nothing even when he sat down across from him, only eye contact was made when Nov set the Brandy bottle down for him.

Victus gave a slight nod, a silent appreciation for his subordinate that had been competition for him despite Sidda's words. He knew Nov was attracted to her; he hurt him on purpose when he found out but so far the Captain had conducted himself respectfully. As with everyone else on board, Victus had heard about Nov's tantrum in the Rec Room but didn't deal with it, he relieved himself of command before so whatever was to happen fell to Maridus but he was sure that his XO hadn't dealt with it before landing in Medical so the buck was passed to Cerrus. His ship was in chaos and it was his fault, he was supposed to be the rock in the center of the storm not the storm itself.

Victus was toying with something in his right hand, a shiny piece of metal; Nov had seen it before but around Sidda's neck. "Sidda gave me this," Victus spoke after a long silence between them. "Human's call them Dog Tags…military identification."

Nov just listened and downed his entire glass in a one shot before pouring another, he wanted to be drunk _yesterday_ and then he wanted a fight. He assumed that Sidda had given him one since one day there was just one tag around her neck rather than two. He cursed himself, and would every day for the rest of his life, for not speaking up and making his feelings known. He drank more and downed another glass.

Victus noticed his rate, knowing that Nov cared deeply for her didn't faze him in the slightest but he didn't want to see a good officer's name tarnished by some drunken brawl gone bad. "Pace yourself, Captain."

Nov actually glared. "Why? I'm already confined to the ship after this," he snarled and Victus' expression didn't change.

"I won't be bailing you out of the Brig," he replied and Nov's mood was souring rapidly, the good bottle of Turian Whiskey wasn't helping as his temper was starting to surface. He wanted to fight…fighting the General wasn't necessarily wise but it would help settling things between them…or it could actually make it worse.

"I don't care," he growled back but again Victus didn't show any concern for the clear challenge that was coming his way.

Victus had already had enough of fighting and if he took it out on Nov it wouldn't be as one sided as it was with Maridus, Nov was an exceptional fighter who was going through his own emotional issues. A fight with him could be serious and brutal. "I'm not your CO right now, Nov; you want to pick a fight do what you like."

"Sir," a voice greeted breaking them from something that might have turned into a mess. It was Garrus, still angry with Victus for hurting his friend but he looked as if he needed a drink as well. Unlike them, Garrus actually saw the event that killed her. "Captain. Mind if I join?"

Nov downed another drink, three in two minutes…not a good sign and Victus gestured to the seat. He slid the Brandy bottle toward him.

"A drink for the Commander," Garrus said and Victus paused as Nov poured another drink. "She was the best person I've ever served with."

Nov paused before downing another glass, he felt the sentiment, but for him Sidda was the best person he'd met in his entire life. "And you let her die?" he snapped earning a glare from Victus and Garrus.

"Nov," Victus warned, there was nothing Garrus could have done and Nov knew that. The Turian looked to physically recoil, he was angry and well on his way to getting drunk. He didn't apologize and downed the next glass.

Garrus fought the urge to beat the hell out of him but was able to keep himself in control. He resented Nov's comment and it pissed him off. "He's drunk and looking for a fight," Garrus commented but his growl and leveled glare was enough to express his anger. "Keep talking and I'll give him one."

The glares that were leveled at one another were enough to end wars, or start them. "Really?" Nov smirked but his attitude wasn't playful. "Then why wait, Vakarian?"

Victus was annoyed; his quiet drink had been hijacked and now was something else. Nov was a temperamental drunk and at the moment he wanted to fight…to be honest so did he. "Callus," Victus barked, "you don't cool it you're gonna end up with a fight you don't want. Clear?"

Nov picked up on the threat loud and clear; he meant him but with as upset as he was Nov would get what he wanted…a fight for the ages.

* * *

A week had passed as the _Lante_ was still at the Citadel, Cerrus had done as Victus asked and filed a report to the High Command, they were to report home as soon as was convenient. Victus had faced down everything, he was a seasoned combat veteran but he was absolutely terrified about walking into this room. Maridus was lying on the bed, peaceful, seemingly anyway. His left mandible was a shiny silver which contrasted sharply with his dark skin color and a good portion of his face was still obviously was swollen. He did that, his own hands nearly killed his best friend. The shame Victus felt was overwhelming in all his years he never remembered losing control like that.

Maridus sensed a presence in his room and opened his eyes. "Sir," he managed softly, after four surgeries talking was still a little rough, his jaw hurt…actually everything hurt.

Victus gulped, he could never begin to apologize for his actions. "I'm sorry could never cover it, Damar," he said and the honesty in his voice was undeniable.

By all rights Maridus should hate him, but he didn't. "Don't." Maridus began and it was then Victus noticed the plate on his jaw, the other area he broke. The same on his face was apparent. "It's okay."

"Don't say that," Victus breathed, he couldn't be forgiven for this. "There is no way that this is okay."

Maridus managed to sit up and his face throbbed. "Adrien…" he began surprising the General by using his first name. "I understand. I wouldn't volunteer for it every week but I understand."

There was no way Victus was going to let himself off the hook. "You cannot forgive me for this, Damar, look what I did to you."

Maridus groaned at a throb that went from one side of his head to another but it passed. "Sir, if it was Solana I probably would have killed myself," Maridus told him. "And if you pushed me the way I pushed you I probably would have done the same thing."

Victus was having a hard time facing his own actions, he owned them there was no question there, but what he couldn't figure out was why Maridus still spoke to him. He turned away from Maridus and began to pace. "Command knows what happened…they've recalled me to assess my fitness. I'm not going to tell you what to do but think long and hard before you forgive me for what I did."

Maridus gave him a slight nod; he wasn't getting out of this hospital for at least another few days, odds were that the _Lante_ would make it back to Palaven before he did.

* * *

The review was going to be uncomfortable; Victus went into it knowing that. It wasn't the first time he'd gone through one of these but this time it was for a personal issue while on duty. Victus had never let something personal effect his job but it was clear he'd lost control. Lost control and nearly killed his first officer doing so.

Fedorian was on the panel, given Victus history with him it might have been seen as a conflict of interest but the thing about Turians was that they could be objective. Victus was a fine officer and Fedorian knew that. Admiral Irix Coronati and General Radha Maridus comprised the rest of the panel; Coronati was a good man, the Admiral of the fleets and someone Victus had known for a long time. Victus' problem was going to be Radha Maridus, Damar's mother, although given what had happened she should recuse herself.

"General, you are here to answer for the assault on one of your crewmembers that resulted in the severe injury of your first officer," Coronati said, it sounded as if it was for the record. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Nothing, Admiral, I don't deny what I did," he answered.

"You disfigured my son, General, that's all you have to say?" Radha hissed. Unlike Maridus she had a forest green inverted chevron on her face blemished by a vertical scar that started over her left eye and continued under it for an inch. She was a severe woman but damn good at her job. He didn't blame her for being angry, he was glad she was on the panel and not his father Merek. Merek really didn't like him and he wasn't looking forward to meeting that big Turian again.

Victus didn't know how to respond to that, owning up to what happened and taking the punishment for it was as far as he got with it. "I know, General, and there is no apology I can say that would make that right."

Radha was trying her best to remain professional in front of him but Damar was her only child, her motherly instinct was hard to turn off. "No, there's not," she snapped. "You nearly killed him."

"Let's try to remain on point, please," Fedorian spoke up and the conversation returned to its subject. "Despite the clear misconduct on your part no charges will be filed against you at this time, General."

Victus was shocked, it definitely not the outcome he was expecting. "Sir?"

"Your first officer is commendably loyal, General," Fedorian said in a tone that wasn't quite a complement, "in his statement he gave you glowing praise, despite it all. I applaud you on your ability to inspire loyalty in your men." Victus wasn't sure how he felt about this, he didn't need to be forgiven for this, and he'd told Maridus that. "While no charges will be filed against you your conduct is unacceptable for someone of your rank. A permanent mark will go in your file."

* * *

The _Lante_ was given time off to refit and rotate crews, nearly 6 months had passed and the Turian ship had been assigned to training missions. They had seen more special operatives from the academy come through for reassignments and training. With Cerrus thrust into the role of interim first officer Kalvaris was took over Centar for training and recruiting. Nov had changed, after six months he still hadn't come to grips with the loss of Sidda, he was darker and less social. Cerrus was actually worried about him and so was Ruvvak.

Nov spun the two fighting sticks in his hands warming up his wrists. This had become an exercise he'd grown fond of since he had a hard time finding someone to spar with. Sometimes he didn't know when to stop, the dark violence took over in him and he just couldn't monitor himself.

He spun them in unison and attacked the padded pole with a vengeance. At 3:30 in the morning the rest of the ship was sleeping but not him…he didn't sleep anymore. Not well anyway, what good nights he could get were few and far between. The dreams were about Sidda and almost none of them were good. She was either dying in some horrific fashion on the _Normandy_ or he had his dream woman loving and caring, either way they hurt. He had been such a fool to let her go and not say anything or even so anything more than just a passing crush. He lost her and she wasn't even his. He'd regret his lack of action for the rest of his life.

For now he turned to the drink when he was off duty and took his aggression out on those he trained and training dummies. When they actually had a mission he was a monster and completely vicious, he just didn't care anymore. The noise of his attack carried through the room and could be heard in the corridor, the racket grew louder as he channeled as much of his anger as he could. He spun and put all his force and momentum in the right stick hitting the post hard enough with the blunt instrument to rip the padding open. He roared and flung both weapons to either side letting them clatter against the wall.

Cerrus' eyes narrowed at the display of aggression shown by the engineer. He was actually worried about him; Nov's major change in behavior was alarming. Nov had always had a personality that was full of optimism and humor…it had all but vanished. "You should try sleeping, Callus," Cerrus stated and Nov simply placed both hands on his hips catching his breath.

"I don't sleep anymore," he replied and Cerrus eyed him.

Cerrus grunted. "Yeah, we've noticed," he said and Nov shot him a look. "What's going on with you, Cal?"

"Nothing," he replied sharply as he collected the items he'd carelessly thrown across the room.

Cerrus sighed heavily; it was like looking into a mirror. "You don't sleep, you barely eat, your attitude sucks, you drink to excess…even the General has noticed that…it doesn't seem like nothing," he pressed and Nov huffed. "Try again."

"I'm fine," he snapped with a growl. "Just-…" he trailed off and Cerrus could guess the problem. "I miss her, Tyr," he admitted. "Every time I close my eyes she's all I see…so I prefer to stay awake."

Cerrus could understand that. "I know how you feel." Nov glowered ready for snarl but then realized that Cerrus probably did know how he felt. "Cal, listen, you have to let her go." He wasn't fazed by the glare from Nov. "Don't give me that look. I've been you…you're turning into me and you don't want that."

Nov's brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"

Cerrus sighed and really didn't want to get into this. "Cal, I finally have someone I truly care about…first time in years but do you want to know who I see every time I close my eyes? The person I dream about seven years later? I still see Anara's face every time I close my eyes."

"Do you have a point?"

"Point is…you don't want to turn into me, Cal, and if you don't let her go that's exactly what's going to happen," he said with a sigh, he really did feel for him. He understood on a level that most didn't, he knew what it was like to lose someone you love. "I know you loved her. But you have to let her go or it's gonna destroy you just like Anara's death did to me."

Nov felt the lump in his throat, Cerrus had a point, but he just couldn't do it. Victus was quiet and didn't talk about it; it was his way of deal with her death. "Victus may have, Tyr, but I can't."

Cerrus growled in annoyance, he was exactly like he was. "He hasn't, Cal," he warned, scolding him for thinking that Victus was 'over' the death of someone he loved. "Look, you need to let her go and you need to get your head back into work."

Nov's jaw set, Cerrus was his friend but he was the blunt type of friend. He tried to be sincere about it all but he only took so much of the stubbornness. "I can't, Tyr," he said and cleared his throat. "I just can't."

Cerrus sighed as Nov left him alone in the training room, Nov was going to be a serious problem if he didn't get his head on straight. One reckless person on the ship was enough and he'd been on both side of it. He'd been hoping that Nov would come around on his own but it still hadn't happened, as much as he said that he understood what Nov was going through he definitely knew that there was a way to live with it. He wasn't the poster child of letting someone go but he'd learned to function with the pain of daily life and if he could do that Nov could too.

* * *

Cerrus was annoyed; with Maridus still out on medical leave Victus had appointed him as his second in command. It irritated him and Ruvio; Ruvio knew more about the interworking's of the _Lante_ and Maridus' job than he did but Victus still appointed him as his temporary second in command.

"How in the hell did Maridus do this job?" Cerrus grumbled in an irritated and exasperated tone. He tossed the pad down on Victus' desk and heard the General snort.

"He complained about it," he commented. "He did it well…but he still complained about it. How's the departure?"

"On track, if the mountain of messages I get inundated with every day is anything to go by," he replied and got another chuckle from Victus. "Maridus' job sucks."

Victus had heard this from Maridus for years. "Don't want your own ship one day?"

"No…no, Sir," he replied and sighed. "Keep me on the ground, Maridus can keep his job."

Victus was actually proud of Cerrus, he did surprisingly well on the _Normandy_ and had stepped into Maridus shoes against his will. Despite his bitching he'd done well. "You've done well, Captain."

Cerrus didn't want the praise, he didn't want a ship of his own, and he didn't want to take Maridus' place either. No one could replace that man, he may have complained about his job sometimes but he did it well. Cerrus was not Victus' protégé, Maridus was. "Thank you, Sir, but once Maridus returns he can have it back."

Victus hadn't heard from Maridus, he was still on leave and apparently undergoing cosmetic surgeries and other therapy to help his jaw and mandible. Maridus didn't file any charges but had also not asked for a transfer so Victus wasn't sure which way his protégé was going to go.

"Sir," he began, he didn't want to do this but his concern couldn't be ignored. "I think we need to talk about Nov," he finished and the General grunted. "He's not doing well."

Victus bristled, Nov and Sidda's relationship annoyed him then and it annoyed him now. He'd noticed Nov's behavior; the obvious spiral he was going through was hard to miss. "And?"

Cerrus suddenly felt uncomfortable, he'd warned Nov a hundred times to back off and now even with her dead, it was a problem between them. "And the crew has noticed…the strike teams have noticed even the ones coming on for training have noticed, and I think it's extraordinarily bad to have him in the field."

Victus was silent as Cerrus voiced his concern. Despite his feelings toward Nov he really didn't want to see someone hurt because someone's head wasn't in the game. Nov was one of his best officers and, hands down, the best combat engineer he'd ever seen. "Fine," he nodded. "Put him on leave before we depart, we'll meet up with the task force and do the mission without him."

Cerrus nodded. "Yes, Sir."

* * *

Cerrus' irritation was getting worse; he wasn't looking forward to telling Nov he was being forced on leave. "Where's Nov?" he asked Kalvaris with a grumble.

Kalvaris' brow furrowed at the tone and Cerrus' obvious irritation. "Umm…not a clue…something wrong, Sir?"

"I have to force him on leave…wanna come?" he replied.

Kalvaris stood and snorted. "Finally," he said and Cerrus gave him a look that was a mix between annoyance and relief. "What?"

"I don't want to do this," Cerrus sighed as Kalvaris snorted.

"I know you understand but he's gonna get someone killed." The barefaced Turian responded clapping him on the back. Cerrus didn't reply and kept moving, Nov was probably in one of his haunts and since he wasn't in the Rec Room, where he'd found Kalvaris, or the training room, he was probably in the armory.

"Cal," Cerrus began as he found the troubled man tending to his armor.

"Sir," Nov acknowledged.

Cerrus was conflicted, on one hand he wanted to help Nov move past this, on the other he knew that a personal blow like this couldn't be helped and he didn't want to see Nov's record tarnished like his was because of personal issue. "Cal, I need you to stow your gear when we get to the Citadel, you're on leave," Cerrus told him, in the moment he decided how to do his and quick and painless was it.

Nov's reaction was predictable and immediate. "What? I didn't put in for any leave."

Cerrus held firm. "General's orders, you're not going on this mission, you're on leave."

Nov was getting angry and the other two could see it. In his defense Cerrus would be pissed about this too so he expected it…which was also why Kalvaris tagged along. "Why?"

"Are you kidding?" Kalvaris snorted and Cerrus shot a glare at him. "You've been a world class ass lately."

Nov leveled a fierce glare at him as did Cerrus, that wasn't going to help. "Rik," Cerrus warned and the younger Turian fell silent. He was right, but starting a fight with the short tempered engineer wasn't going to help anything at this point.

"Fuck you, Kalvaris," Nov hissed.

Cerrus grumbled at the rising tempers. "Alright, alright, alright," Cerrus headed it off holding his hands out as if to keep them separate. "Cal, General's orders you're on leave."

Nov's attention shifted to Cerrus, his friend, and his question still remained. "Why?" he could venture a guess but he still wanted to hear it.

Cerrus was honest, almost to a fault, Nov was his friend and he had so few of them. "You need to get out of here, take some time, and sort things out," Cerrus answered as Nov continued to protest. He couldn't blame him, he did the same thing when they benched him…made him work a desk until Victus picked him up.

Nov was getting madder and madder as time went on and it was such a deviation from his character that even he was noticing the change. Denial, that's was Holum called it. "How many times do I need to tell you people that I'm fine?" he snarled.

"You are not 'fine', Captain," Cerrus snapped back raising his voice slightly showing that he was in no mood to coddle anyone, the order had been given. "Don't do what I did," he told him, his tone as sincere as he could make it. He should never have gone on that mission, had he taken the time off his squad would still be alive. "Take the time. This is a direct order from the General. You're getting off when we get to the Citadel."

Nov wanted to protest but the core of the Turian military had been beaten into since he was 15, the superior gave the direct order and so he would follow it.

* * *

The Citadel was still being guarded by the Fifth Fleet as the defense force built up the ships that were lost. Most people bristled to the idea of a human fleet guarding Citadel six months after the attack but the station had been secure for that entire time. Clean up was still on going and security was insane.

"Capt. Cerrus, front and center," Victus said and Cerrus glanced around quickly, confused and a little worried but he stepped forward.

"Sir?"

"Captain, you've done an admirable lately. You did exceptionally well on a mission that you really shouldn't have and you've filled the role of first officer with minimal complaint," he said and the room chuckled at Victus' very true but light hearted joke. "Si…Cmdr. Shepard praised your performance and was very grateful for your help tracking Saren."

Cerrus did as he promised and watched over Sidda while he was on the ship. He wasn't happy about the assignment but he did it well and Sidda survived it. He regretted that she was dead; as much as she annoyed him she was a good soldier. With all those thoughts and complements being said he still wasn't sure why he was on display. "Just doing my duty, Sir."

Victus had more to list off and that was just within the past year. He planned Nihlus' rescue, went with Sidda, chased Saren across the galaxy, and kept his ship together when he lost his mind. "Above and beyond…Major," he said sincerely and Cerrus blinked…stunned.

"Sir?" he questioned since he couldn't think of anything else to say, he'd been stuck at the rank of captain for so long he couldn't remember.

"You earned it, Tyr," Victus said presenting him with the new rank insignia, "congratulations."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Attention!" Victus called and the entire line snapped to. "Recognize Major Tyr Cerrus, third in command of the _PFS Lante_."

"Maj. Cerrus!" The line barked in unison.

* * *

Nov was irritated with being booted from the ship for this joint operation. Part of him understood the reasoning but that didn't mean he liked it. He was thrilled that Cerrus was promoted and now he was wandering the Citadel.

"Cal?" a voice called and he turned to track it.

Nov blinked, it was Maridus, up and on his feet. "Damar…" he began, "Spirits, look at you."

Maridus seemed the same except the left side of his face, the mandible on that side was completely synthetic and shiny silver. He had metal implants in his jaw, upper and lower, from where it was broken and three fake teeth. The fake mandible contrasted against his dark skin and half his colony paint was missing. "Up and moving around. What are you doing here?"

"General forced me on leave," he replied grumpily.

Maridus cocked his head; he didn't need to be a genius to figure that out. "Sidda?" Nov glared at him. "Come on, Cal, you don't think the ship's that stupid do you? You destroyed the Rec Room the day you learned she died." His glare remained but he sighed heavily and then grumbled. "Are you okay?"

Nov answer was simple. "No," he answered plainly.

Maridus patted his shoulder. "Hang in there. Take some time off enjoy the freedom…I would have but I was in and out of hospitals for six months," he joked and Nov couldn't help but chuckle.

"So how are you doing?"

Maridus wasn't going to lie, he had his reservations. Things hadn't been easy for him, the pain, the surgeries, the pins and implants…it was all rough. "We'll see," he answered quietly. He didn't blame Victus no matter how much his parents and wife thought he should. His mother and father though that Victus should be removed from his post for what he did but Maridus said no. "I don't think I'm gonna be fighting any time in the future." Nov couldn't blame him and his problems suddenly felt a little smaller, Maridus had to walk back onto that ship and face Victus, he didn't know who was going to have it harder…Maridus or Victus. "So where are you going to go?"

Nov shrugged. "I don't know…I'll think of something," he replied quietly and extended his hand to Maridus. "Take it easy…see you all when you get back."

Maridus nodded and shook his friend's hand, he felt bad for Nov, he really did love Sidda but never gathered enough courage to say anything.

* * *

The CIC was buzzing as the ship got ready to shove off and continue its duties. Victus hadn't heard from Maridus since after his hearing. He wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to serve under him anymore so he gave him the option. If he didn't show up then he would have his answer and Cerrus would remain in the role of his second in command, he may have been anti-human and a hothead but he was a damn good officer. Victus had spent nearly a decade training Maridus to one day take his place and didn't relish the idea of doing that all over again.

"Sir, final preparations are underway," Ruvio reported.

He looked at her and nodded. She would be his first choice as a second in command so, if he had to, training her would be easier than training Cerrus but despite Cerrus' reservations he did fill the role nicely. "Very well, Lieutenant."

The lift came to a halt and opened revealing Maridus in uniform. "General," he said and stepped off the lift making him turn to look. "Permission to come aboard, Sir," he asked with a salute.

Victus didn't return his salute instead he took a few steps toward him and extended his hand to him. Maridus dropped his hand and shook his. "Granted," he replied as he felt a wave of relief hit him all at once. Immediately he felt better than he had in months. "Take your station, Major."

Maridus gave him a small nod. "Yes, Sir." It never entered Maridus' mind to serve anywhere else, he loved this ship and in spite of it all he had complete respect for Victus. This was his ship and he was happy to serve on it.

**_PS: Thank you for reading, I do hope everyone enjoyed part 2 of 4. Part 3 is on the way. _**


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